


Ecydsis

by inkncoffee



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Self-Discovery, adopting dangerous animals as a coping method, various minor mythological figures as major characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2018-12-20 00:12:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11909163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkncoffee/pseuds/inkncoffee
Summary: Hades prepared his whole life to be a Slytherin. After all, the dark son of a dark wizard could hardly be anything else. A story of family, friendship and finding oneself - just ask the Sorting Hat. He's not wrong, no matter what Hades thinks.("Better be . . . HUFFLEPUFF!")





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Is this PJO fanfiction anymore or straight up HP with a mix of mythology? I don't even know. All Greek characters are based off Riordan's portrayals.

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_   
_Where dwell the brave at heart,_   
_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_   
_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_  
Where they are just and loyal,   
_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_   
_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_  
If you've a ready mind,   
_Where those of wit and learning,_   
_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin,_  
You'll make your real friends,   
_Those cunning folks use any means_   
_To achieve their ends._

\- Hogwart's Sorting Hat

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kronos may lay eternally beneath the ashen banks of Azkaban, but his iron fist was forever fixed around the Olympian hearth. Hades sat in the armchair of his late father, the green leather at his back as cold as his father's old embrace. Above the crackling fireplace at his feet lay a green and white scarf, as clean and vibrant as the day it was dyed, the twisted serpent of Kronos' house stretching high above it. Hades' head didn't turn, but he knew, could feel as keenly as the thrumming in his veins, the case behind him that held Kronos' old Hogwarts uniform and Salazar Slytherin's own silver staff. Hestia sat calmly across from him, a book open on her lap and needle in hand as she mended their mother's handkerchief when Rhea herself came in, letter in hand. Hades, only two hours now eleven years of age, knew what it was.

Hestia's sewing didn't waver, but her kind, warm eyes rose to meet his, if only briefly before Rhea stepped forward and blocked her from view.

"Look what the owl brought," his mother cooed, holding Hades' fate in her hands.

She meant well, really, she thought she brought him great news. And in a way, Hades supposed, she was. Hogwarts was, after all, a perfectly good school, a respected school. It would, he thought somewhat bitterly as he took the letter from his mother's soft hands, be strange if he asked to attend Beauxbatons like his sisters. He could only imagine how that would go over _: but why don't you want to attend your father's school?_

The artful inscription on the front of the letter was beautiful, even in the simple spelling of his name. With a heavy heart, he broke the red seal and let the contents tumble out. Rhea's eyes were bright with pride as he unfurrowed the parchment. There was no smile on his lips as he held the letter high for his mother and sister to see.

"I have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Rhea beamed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Dad went to Azkaban because he was bad, right?"

"Play with your toys," Hestia gently corrected a young Zeus, not looking up from her book as she gently rolled his bright blue ball back towards the round-faced child.

Zeus grabbed the ball with both hands, his little brow puckered and lips pouted. The Olympian children gathered around the giant willow outside their familial home. Demeter was inside with Rhea, doing  _adult things_ Hestia said, which Hades knew meant their mother was sad again. Zeus, six years old and as right a terror as freshly caught Cornish pixies, couldn't understand. He was too young to remember Kronos. Poseidon, body half on, half off a low-lying limb of the old tree, had a scar lacing across his collarbone from their father. Hades doubted his memories would ever fade.

"Yes," Poseidon unhelpfully supplied.

"Yes what?" Zeus asked, looking up sharply, already having forgotten his question.

"Dad went to Azkaban because he was bad."

"Poseidon," Hestia chastised lightly.

Hades said nothing, stretched out in the protection of the willow's wide foliage. The girls were always like that, not wanting to talk about Kronos or Azkaban or anything bad.  _Adult things_ they said, as if Demeter weren't only two years older than Hades and Hestia a mere three and a half. Sometimes Hades thought Demeter didn't want to talk about it because Kronos never hit her. Of course, Kronos never hit Hestia either but Hestia would stand in front of Hades so Kronos couldn't hit  _him_. Demeter just brought water and towels after.

As if sensing his bitter thoughts, Hestia looked up and met Hades' eyes. Hades immediately looked away, guilty.

Zeus gave his ball an experimental bounce.

"If Dad was bad and he was in Slytherin, does that mean Slytherin is bad?"

"Zeus darling, if someone—" Hestia tried to explain, her voice soft and melodious.

"Yes," Poseidon cut in, speaking over their sister.

"Poseidon," Hestia scowled, turning displeased eyes on him and the little rascal had the decency to avert his eyes, chastised but unrepentant.

"All of Dad's friends were in Slytherin," Poseidon argued, staring fixedly at the tree bark, "and half of them are in Azkaban. That stupid tutor, Chiron, he's a Ravenclaw and I heard him say Slytherins are awful, evil people."

"Chiron likes to sound smart," Hestia huffed, leaning forward to bat at Poseidon's dangling foot. He quickly swung it up to safety before she could get more than one or two gentle swipes. "And he thinks people will like him more if he says grand, over simplified things. He also doesn't know how to think for himself, just absorbs everything he reads."

Zeus' head perked up, "I don't gotta listen to Chiron?"

"Have to, not gotta," Hestia corrected. "And I didn't say that, just that he isn't half as smart as he thinks he is."

"Like you."

"I'm not half as smart as  _you_ think I am," Hestia laughed softly. "And you can't just stuff people into a box and label them, it doesn't work that way."

"What doesn't work that way?"

"Life, darling, life."

"I think Chiron  _knew_ what he was talking about," Poseidon grumbled, crossing his arms. " _He_ goes to Hogwarts. He says Slytherin are cunning and convoluted."

Hades snorted; please, Poseidon didn't even know what convoluted meant. Poseidon glared down at him, his green eyes twinkling maliciously in the evil way nine-year-old's often did.

" _Hades_ will be a Slytherin."

Zeus giggled, tilting his head so his too long hair fell into bright blue eyes.

"Poseidon," Hestia warned, frowning now.

"Because he's mean and quiet and always planning something evil, like when he made Mama cry."

_"Poseidon_."

Hades flinched, half from the unfortunate memory and half from his sister's voice. Somehow, her rebuke hurt worse than Poseidon's childish taunts, as if accusing him of being a Slytherin was akin to damning him.

"Well,  _you_ still wet the bed," Hades snapped back, coming to his feet and shoving at Poseidon's legs.

Zeus gave a childish shriek at the revelation and Poseidon, distracted by the noise, was toppled from the tree by Hades' shove.

"Hades hurt Poseidon! Hades hurt Poseidon!" Zeus shrieked at the top of his stupid, piercing little lungs as Hestia rushed forward to make sure Poseidon was alright. "Hades's a Slytherin! Hades's a big mean Slytherin!"

Hades stood frozen as Hestia fussed over Poseidon, who clearly wasn't hurt but moaned and whined as though Hades beat him, and Zeus shrieked and shouted abuse. Hades heart thumped hard and painful in his chest.

"Evil Slytherin! Evil Slytherin!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Aw, look at him."

Theia was an ugly woman, too large and too tall and just, well, too much. She smiled, too wide, and pinched his cheeks, too hard, like he was a baby. Hades tried not to scowl, his eye twitching but the rest of his face remaining stoically blank as the woman pulled away.

Rhea put her delicate hand on his shoulder, beaming with pride.

"He's so big," Theia gushed, cooing and batting her eyelashes.

"Isn't he?" Rhea asked, squeezing his shoulder and Hades almost smiled, chest puffing out.

"He looks just like his daddy."

And his chest deflated, face falling back into stone.

"Does he?" Rhea asked, her voice filled with honeyed warmth.

"Oh yes, his face, his eyes, my, the very way he  _holds_ himself screams Kronos."

Hades wanted to disappear. No, he wanted Theia to disappear. He let his eyes desperately flicker around the sparkling ballroom, the largest of the three in the Olympian house, for one of his sisters. Demeter was chasing a half-naked Zeus around the dessert table; Hestia, smiling and nodding along with one of their uncles.

"Why, he'll be a Slytherin for sure."

"What?" Hades asked, stomach dropping as he snapped his attention back to the giggling women.

"Slytherin for sure," his mother lovingly repeated, stroking his hair.

Hades heart pounded in his throat.

"What makes you so sure?"

Rhea smiled, her laugh like a thousand bells as she placed a kiss on his forehead. "Because you are  _just like him_."

A shriek pierced the evening air—Demeter had finally caught Zeus.

"What a rascal," Rhea tsked, shaking her head.

Hades wanted to disappear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were always silent. Hades wasn't sure why he found the silence more unsettling than Kronos' boisterous drunken rage, but the silence was worse. The men appeared one at a time soundlessly in the doorway. They all dressed the same, dark cloaks with black and green scarves, the Slytherin badge curled in the frayed corner. The snake always stood out, a colored and unique pattern against an otherwise monotonous and bleak man. He couldn't remember all the faces, but he remembered the snake. The men would slither into Kronos' study, the door would click without a sound. Poseidon wasn't wrong when he said most of Kronos' friends suffered the same fate as their father. Long after their fates were sealed and Kronos' study forever closed, Hades remembered the silent snake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hogwarts started before Beauxbatons. Zeus was on Demeter's hip, alternately tugging at her hair and wailing about how it wasn't  _fair_ that Hades got to start school first. Poseidon pretended to be decidedly unimpressed at the prospect but attentive eyes watched the Hogwarts Express as eager witches and wizards bustled about. Rhea beamed with pride, her entire body radiant in a way Hades hadn't seen for years.

"The Hogwarts Express," Rhea proudly proclaimed, wrapping an arm around Poseidon. "Say goodbye to your brother, children, the next time you'll see him will be Christmas. He'll be a whole different person then, a great man in the making."

"Is he going to grow a beard?" Zeus asked skeptically.

The family ignored him.

"Got your hat? Your wand?"

"Yes, Mother," Hades sighed longsuffering. He shifted, almost tripping over the helm of his too long cloak.  _You'll grow into it_ , Hestia kindly told him the night before.

"You will do wonderfully," Hestia encouraged as the train gave a warning thrill.

"Send us loads of letters," Demeter urged.

"I want to  _goo_ ," Zeus wailed, the brat, as Demeter held on tight to the squirming child.

Rhea stepped forward to take Hades' face in her hands. She bowed his head, stepping close so he could feel the warmth of her body even through all the layers of her elegant dress. She pressed a lingering kiss to the crown of his head, steady and calm.

"You make me so proud," she whispered and Hades almost smiled, his eyes closing and leaning into his mother's touch.

"Oh, you look so like him," she sighed, pulling away enough to brush a lock of hair from his face. Her words twisted something inside of him, his insides curling and hot in an unpleasant sort of way. His mouth tasted like acid.

"Well, get along, make lots of friends and don't forget to write," Rhea said as the train whistled again, students making a mad dash for the last minute boarding.

Running was not the Olympian way; it was with a slow, careful tread, his head held high, that Hades boarded the Hogwarts Express, his family's eyes on his back. It felt heavy. Having not yet found a compartment, Hades didn't have the luxury of looking out the window, of watching as his family disappeared from sight as the train trudged forward. Somehow, it felt better that way. He didn't think he could stand to watch Rhea's proud face, Hestia's kind eyes.

"Hey, do you need a place to sit?"

Hades turned slowly at the voice and found himself staring at a floppy-haired second year. The youth had an almost painfully earnest face, all round and full of baby fat and hope. It instantly put Hades on edge as the kid held a hand out to help Hades with his trunk. Hades stiffened to a perfect statue as the boy's hand curled around the handle of his trunk.

"I'm Patroclus," the youth babbled, oblivious to Hades' discomfort. "My friends and I are sitting here but we have lots of space. You're a first year, right? I'm a second, but my friend, Achilles, this is his first year too."

"Yes," Hades said, uncertain. He was fairly certain there was a question in there somewhere but the youth talked swiftly and had claimed Hades' trunk before he really knew what was happening, shoving it in the overhead compartment.

"Any pets?" Patroclus asked and the look in his eyes when he turned to Hades reminded him strongly of Hestia and for a moment, he almost allowed himself to smile.

Then the black and yellow scarf wrapped around Patroclus' neck caught his eye.

_Hufflepuff, useless, cowardly things._ Kronos' voice sneered in the back of his mind.  _They're even worse than those damn Gryffindors. Sniffling, weak. Hogwarts should expel the entire house. Nothing good's ever come from_ Hufflepuff _. Might as well call them_ Muggles.

"Alright there mate?" Patroclus asked, his eyebrow puckering when Hades didn't respond.

Hades felt his face smooth out, the perfect expressionless canvas as he tried to uproot the sinister voice haunting his memories.  _He's a Hufflepuff,_ Hades thought.  _And I'll be a Slytherin. He won't be so friendly once I get sorted._

"Yes, fine," Hades replied and was about to ask for his trunk back, this was a mistake, when the compartment doors crashed open and a gaggle of boys fell inside, boisterously laughing, cloaks disheveled.

"Be careful," Patroclus scolded, grabbing Hades by the arm and pulling him out of the dangerous whirlwind of bony elbows and knees.

The whirlwind paid Patroclus little mind, dispersing after a moment of entropy in which many shoves, pushes and hair pulling were involved until three distinct boys were sprawled opposite a scowling Patroclus and a very still Hades.

"Hey Patroclus," one of the boys, the smallest of the three with well-trimmed curly hair, flopped down and gave what he clearly thought was a charming, innocent smile the Hufflepuff's way, as if he'd done nothing wrong. He blew the boy a kiss to which Patroclus responded by slapping him upside his curl head so hard he gave a yelp and fell clean off the seat.

"You deserved that, imp," Patroclus declared. "That's Achilles, don't mind him, his ego's far too big for his tiny brain. That one—" he pointed towards the tallest of the three, a broad boy of twelve or thirteen with perfect golden hair "—is Hercules and the last idiot is Theseus."

"Achilles is a first-year, like you," Patroclus explained as Achilles scrambled off the floor, grumbling as he dusted himself off. "Herc and Theseus are second years like me. They're both Gryffindors."

The red and gold cloaks hadn't escaped Hades' attention. His stomach tightened, from where they curled against his side.  _Stupid,_ he cursed himself as three pairs of eyes surveyed him. He'd allowed himself to be drawn into the lion's den. The lift of Hercules' jaw spoke of aristocracy, but the pride with which he wore his house's colors didn't bode well for Hades. The shoes that scuffed the floor beneath Theseus were clearly Muggle-made; he would earn zero points with that one. A cold bead of sweat rolled down Hades' neck.

Hades could only image his introduction would go:  _Hi, I'm Hades, son of Kronos Olympian. You know, the dangerous Slytherin who was sentenced to Azkaban for dark magic?_

He might as well punch himself in the face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," Patroclus said, shoving Achilles aside so he could settle in. He propped his feet up on the opposite bench, effectively blocking Hades in.

It also happened to create an open seat across from the Hufflepuff for Hades to sit, which Hades knew must have been the older boy's intent, yet the act still felt sinister. He gingerly took the seat though, foreseeing no other option.

"Hades," he offered, taking careful, even breaths. They didn't introduce themselves with their full names, therefore he wasn't required to, right? He could do this.

_Think of it as the only time you'll be able to talk civilly with other houses,_ he reminded himself bitterly.

"Nice to meet you Hades," Theseus greeted distractedly, much more interested in rummaging around in his trunk overhead than the inwardly panicking first year.

Hercules, however, frowned, eyes slowly panning over Hades, like a lion ready to bounce.  _Easy there,_ Hades scolded his overactive imagination. He held himself perfectly still and evenly met the golden haired boy's gaze, letting one eyebrow slowly raise in question.

"You look kind of familiar," Hercules said after a moment. "Do I know you?"

"I have never seen you before in my life," Hades truthfully replied, but now that he thought about it, there  _was_ something familiar about Hercules.

If he was a pureblood, which Hades surmised he had to be from the polish of his hair and the way he held himself, then there was no doubt Hades had met someone in his family before. There weren't exactly too many pureblooded families in Britain. There was a very real possibility that Hades had actually met Hercules before. Or, and Hades' heart began to beat rather fast now, Hercules saw Kronos in him.

"How long until we reach the castle?" Achilles asked loudly, letting his head fall on Patroclus' shoulder.

"We haven't even been on the train for twenty minutes and you're already complaining," Patroclus groaned. "Someone killed me now."

"I will be honored to put you out of your misery," Theseus said gravely, slowly drawing his wand from his sleeve with a mock graveness.

"If you would be so kind, make it quick, and tell my mother how I persevered honorably but the tribulations were just too much."

"We shall forever sing ballads in honor of your insurmountable trials," Hercules promised with a dramatic bow.

"You're all jerks," Achilles huffed, crossing his arms.

"Alas, to perish at such a tender age," Patroclus bemoaned, ignoring Achilles as he removed his hat, holding it over his heart and gazing forlornly out the window. "So bright and full of potential, my whole life stretched on before me only to be cut short by the cruel arrow of death."

"A performance worthy of the Order of Merlin, First Class," Hades said without thinking, delivered in his usual monotone manner, the one that Hestia and Demeter found hysterical.

It wasn't until the words were out of his mouth that Hades properly remembered that he was not home, these boys were not his siblings, and that he was fated to be their mortal enemy, a  _Slytherin._ For these reasons, he was wholly unprepared for the boisterous laughter that followed his blunder. Theseus reached across Patroclus outstretched legs to slap him on the shoulder, laughing so hard his hat fell off.

"I like him, Patroclus, good eye," Hercules declared, laughing in delight. Even Achilles' lips gave a reluctant twitch as Patroclus reached over to slap his shoulder.

"I hate all of you," Achilles declared and Theseus winked, elbowing Hades in the ribs as he cackled up some more.

Hades couldn't help the minute twitch his lips gave, and the low chuckle that escaped his own lips.  _Well, perhaps this wasn't so bad,_  he thought. Maybe this could work after all. The conversation flowed after that, the boys jumping from topic to topic as though they had been friends for a lifetime.

"Reckon Slughorn will let us into his club this year?" Theseus wondered, fiddling lazily with his wand as the rain provided a rather soothing backdrop to their conversation.

"No," Patroclus snorted, rolling his eyes. To Hades, he explained, "Professor Slughorn, he's the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin. Likes to play favorites like you wouldn't believe. He's got this club—the Slug Club—"

The other three boys gaffed and snickered loudly, which Patroclus ignored, raising his voice slightly to be heard.

"—not blood-based, believe it or not," Patroclus puffed out his chest a little as he explained as Hades' eyebrow rose in mild disbelief. He had heard of Slughorn, of course. Then again, most of that knowledge came from his father's under-breath mutterings about the man and how he was a disgrace to the House.

"Only the best of the best get invited to the Slug Club," Hercules said, puffing his own chest out as though he already received an invitation.

"So that rules you out mate," Theseus snorted, which got him a dirty sock to the face.

"The best of what?" Achilles asked as Theseus yelped and scrambled away from the offending article.

"Of whatever," Patroclus explained, "The smart kids, the sly kids, the best seekers—whoever Slughorn thinks will make it big in life after Hogwarts."

"Definitely not Herc then," Achilles snorted and Theseus cackled.

"Whatever jerks," Hercules huffed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "You won't be saying that when I make the Quidditch team this year. Slughorn will invite me to his club one day, just you wait and see. Not a bad bloke, Slughorn, he's probably the only decent Slytherin to ever live."

"Here, here," Theseus agreed as the other boys nodded sagely.

Hades' stomach tightened. He refused to cast his eyes away, he had nothing to be ashamed of, but he felt kind of sick.

"What house do you reckon this shrimp will be in?" Hercules asked, oblivious to Hades' internal discomfort as he grabbed Achilles roughly by the neck and proceeded to thoroughly ruffle the younger boy's hair.

"Herc, knock it off!" Achilles demanded, legs flailing uselessly and fists pounding equally futilely against his captor. "Patroclus, help me!'

Patroclus simply shifted a little to the side, ignoring his friend's cries for help.

"Gryffindor I bet," Theseus said lazily, flicking a bit of lint off his leg. "Look at him there, bravely taking on an opponent twice his size and so obviously out of his depth."

"Shove off Theseus, Hercules stop!"

"I don't know, he's kind of scrawny," Hercules grinned.

"I'm not scrawny! I'm not! Patroclus, tell them I'll not scrawny!"

"You'll grow into it," Patroclus said dismissively. "Ravenclaw perhaps, he's quite good at chess."

All three of the boys made various groans, Hercules even stopped torturing Achilles for a moment to throw Patroclus a betrayed sort of look.

"Our Achilles in Ravenclaw? Never," he declared, wrapping the arm that a second ago was half strangling Achilles around the boy's shoulders instead. "Old chap'll be a Gryffindor for sure."

Achilles positively beamed. "That's what Mum said. I'll fight the hat if I have to. I'm a Gryffindor through and through!"

"Atta lad," Theseus said bracingly.

"As long as it's not Slytherin it doesn't really matter," Hercules said, not unkindly as he finally let Achilles go.

"Or Hufflepuff, house of nobodies. Or Ravenclaw, house of snobs. No offense Patroclus," Theseus added quickly.

"Offense fully taken," Patroclus blustered drawing himself up.

"Don't worry Patroclus, us ol' Gryffindors will defend your honor," Achilles gravely promised.

"Tossers, the lot of you," Patroclus declared, shoving Achilles off his seat.

The boys gave another rowdy laugh as Achilles scrambled off the floor.

"Whatever, see if I ever defend your honor again," Achilles said with a definite air. "Look, I'm not even going to sit back down next to you. I'll sit by my  _new_ best friend, Hades."

Thus saying, the curly haired boy wedged himself between Theseus and Hades, arms firmly crossed. He sat so close his side pressed flush against Hades, an uncomfortable warmth against his side. Hades held himself perfectly still, knowing better than to squirm. Never let the enemy know you were uncomfortable. Or friends know your weaknesses. Hades wasn't sure which applied to this ragtag group yet but he held his cards close to his chest and kept perfectly still.

"What house do you think you'll be in, Hades?" Achilles asked, turning bright, friendly eyes to his 'new best friend'.

Hades stared back, not daring to move. His breath caught in his throat, tight and hot. A man of lesser discipline might have started shaking but not Hades. His mind, lightning fast, flickering through possible responses. He could lie, say Ravenclaw and get their jovial approval for the remainder of the trip—which would then turn to horrified disgust when the hat called out Slytherin; he could tell the truth and say Slytherin, suffer their ire now and never enjoy this comradery, however short. Then he would have to go to a different compartment, suffer the shame of being evicted, sit with  _other Slytherins—_ a light tremor ran through his hands and Hades clenched them tightly.

"Probably be—" Patroclus started to say when the compartment door opened and a sweet, plump witch poked her head in:

"Anything off the trolley, dears?"

And so chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's saved Hades from answering. The boys ravaged the cart like starving lions, gorging themselves into a sugar coma that lasted the remainder of the trip. Hades barely touched his sweets, dark eyes fixed out the window as Hogwarts slowly came into sight, rising out of the horizon like a shadow, dark and looming.

"First years take the boats to the castle," Patroclus told them as they gathered their belongings and made to exit the train. "Four to a boat, then you'll be brought to the Great Hall for the sorting."

"Yes Mother," Achilles scoffed, rolling his eyes but stayed perfectly still as Patroclus fussed with his scarf.

"We'll save you a seat, Achilles," Theseus grinned, thumping Achilles upside the head. "And you, Hades, if you get sorted into Gryffindor."

Hades tried to make his face work, a voice rather like Hestia's told him a smile would be the appropriate response, but his face revolted and a simple nod had to suffice.

"Don't let the Giant Squid get you," Hercules teased, grinning as he ruffled Achilles' hair. "See you soon, squirt."

"Jerks," Achilles called, shoving the older boy away with a grin.

"Aren't they jerks?" he repeated to Hades as the second years disappeared in the crowd. His eyes were painfully bright. "Come on, I can't  _wait_ to get sorted."

Hades disagreed with the sentiment but followed the shorter boy as he paved the way down to the waiting boats. The lake was cold, some girl chatted his ear off on the left and a small boy, good lord was he really eleven?, tucked his too large cloak around him and nodded gravely along with whatever Achilles said. Hades couldn't be bothered to pay them any attention. Instead, he watched as the castle drew closer, the waves lapping against the boat in small sinister waves.

He didn't hear the words the teacher that greeted them spoke either. He knew how the sorting went. Lord knew Kronos told the story of his sorting often enough—"Hat didn't even need to touch my head to know I was a  _true_ Slytherin". Then the Great Hall doors were open, the bright light of a thousand sparkling candles beaming like daggers right in Hades' soul as they were marched forward.

Hades wondered if it was too late to make a run for it.

It was, apparently, as Achilles excitedly grabbed him by the arm, hauling him forward.

"There's Patroclus, over there! And look, Hercules and Theseus!"

Hades' head spun, his senses overwhelmed. The lights were too much, the thick scent of wax and burning fire, magic buzzing across his skin—he was going to be sick. He wondered it if it would be appropriate to tell Achilles to shut the hell up. That was a Slytherin thing to do, wasn't it?

Achilles' fingers dug into his arm.

"That's me, that's me," he gasped excitedly. Hades hadn't even heard his name being called but Achilles turned painfully bright eyes on him.

"I'm going to be Gryffindor," he said confidently, slapping Hades' on the shoulder. "Hope you are too mate, see you!"

Hades watched, fully aware for the first time since the sorting began (five minutes ago, five hours, he couldn't tell), transfixed as the boy proudly made his way up to the front of the hall. The sorting hat was nothing impressive, a raggedy old wizarding hat on an equally antiquated stool. Achilles' steps never faltered as he approached and, with his head held high, took a seat. A faceless professor lowered the hat on his curly head. Hades didn't have time to hold his breath as the hat shouted:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Hades closed his eyes, feeling as though the hat had personally stabbed him. Any hope he may have had disappeared, leaving Hades bone tired and defeated. Achilles knew he was going to be Gryffindor and he was right. There was no hope for Hades. He would face his fate with the dignity befitting an Olympian, Hades firmly decided, fingers digging into his palm as he stared fixedly at the floor. He was strong, made of stone, an iron statue; he would make his mother proud, bring honor to his family's tarnished name—

"Hades Olympian."

_Dignity, grace, honor_ , Hades reminded himself firmly as he took careful, measured steps forward.  _Dignity, grace, honor. Dignity, grace, honor._

He looked over the sea of students, eyes fixed on the candles high above their heads as he took a seat on the stool. It didn't matter if anyone recognized his name— _Kronos Olympian, you have been found guilty of dark magic, traitor to the wizarding community, we sentence you to—dignity, grace, honor, Mother, Hestia, dignity, grace—_

Years later, Hades learned that the hat sometimes talked to people, had actual conversations with some students, muttered little observations to others. It didn't grace Hades with any warning of what was about to happen, simply opening its crooked mouth to cry:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"


	2. Part Two

 

 

_"HUFFLEPUFF!"_

The word didn't mean anything to Hades, who sat dumbfounded, unmoving. The deputy headmaster was taking the hat off his head, clapping him on the shoulder—wait, that wasn't . . . what had the hat said? That wasn't—

"No, that's—what did it say—?"

"Hufflepuff, my good lad," the deputy headmaster said, not unkindly, putting his hand on Hades' shoulder in a gentle, nudging sort of way as he all but pushed the first year to his feet. "Over there, just look for the smiling chaps in yellow and black."

With that, the professor gave him a little push and without thinking, Hades walked forward, his feet carrying him across the Great Hall towards the grotesque blotches of yellow. The house watched him approach, smiles frozen on the purebloods' faces and genial ones on the ignorant. His last name had not gone unnoticed then. Several older years grabbed onto the younger, moving them aside as he approached. Hades' eyes flickered, meeting Patroclus in a sea of blue. His brow was puckered. He wasn't smiling, he wasn't scowling. Hades didn't know what it meant but he cast his eyes aside, the whispering hitting his ears as the shock slowly ebbed away—

" _Olympian? As in Kronos Olympian?"_

_"The dark wizard's son?"_

_"What's he doing in_ that _house?"_

_"Hufflepuff?"_

_"Reckon he's dangerous?"_

_"Hufflepuff?"_

_Hufflepuff?_ The word repeated in Hades' own mind as he walked, slowly, carefully, face unreadable and head still held high, to the end of the Hufflepuff table. He slowly sank down on a vacant stretch of bench, staring determinedly forward as the sorting resumed. His heart pounded uncomfortably loud and fast in his vein, the thrumming unsettling.

_Hufflepuff?_

There had to be some mistake, he thought, staring unseeingly at the candles hovering above his head. He couldn't be a Hufflepuff. That just didn't make any sense. Hades Olympian, the spitting image of his father, a _Hufflepuff?_ Hufflepuffs were useless, soft, gentle things. Hades Olympian might be a great deal many things but useless, soft and gentle were not among them And Hades did _not_ smile, unlike the mass of clogging yellow surrounding him. This had to be a mistake. Hades was a Slytherin. He had to be. It was meant to be.

_Who do you talk to if you'd_ _been sorted wrong?_ Hades wondered as the headmaster spread his arms, welcoming them with a grand speech that rolled uselessly off Hades' back. It was never a question Hades thought to ask. Chiron certainly never mentioned anything of the sort. Did people get sorted wrong all the time? Or was Hades the twisted exception, as it were in most circumstances of his unfortunate life.

He would ask the headmaster, Hades decided as the old wizard lifted his arms and food appeared before the excited students.

Something in Hades' stomach didn't sit quite right. _Hunger,_ he deduced, slowly reaching out for a plate before him, _it was just hunger._ Hades wasn't sure how long it would take for the news of his sorting to reach his mother. Rhea Olympian certainly had a way of getting what she wanted; the sinking feeling in Hades' stomach thickened. How disappointed would she be? Oh god, how disgustingly _gleeful_ would Zeus be? Or _Poseidon?_ Hades shuddered to think, so he didn't think but methodically ate his way through the feast and waited to be escorted to his (temporary) dormitory.

The prefects eyed Hades suspiciously when he joined the group of bright eyed first years but said nothing. They were lead down the kitchen corridor, to a nook on the right-hand side. Hades eyed the stack of barrels suspiciously, not understanding, but the prefects merely stepped up.

"Now watch me," one of prefect instructed as she leaned over the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row. She began to tap out a rhythm against the top, something so jovial it set his teeth on edge.

_What in Merlin's—?_ Hades wondered when the lid swung open. The first years all gasped in delight, clambering over each other to get a view of the passageway it revealed.

"No password required," the prefect told them with a warm smile, winding an arm around the nearest first year. "Just tap the second barrel from the bottom, middle of the second row here—" she patted the barrel like it was an old friend "—to the rhythm of _Helga Hufflepuff_. Don't worry, you'll catch on quickly. Find an older student to help you the first time or so if you're worried, but don't worry. We'll always let you in."

She smiled, showing off all her teeth. Hades just wished she'd shut up. They began descending into the common room and as he passed the barrel, Hades couldn't help giving it a mistrustful look. What kind of system was that? Passwords were safer, trusted, what was the use of this system? Anyone with a basic knowledge of wizarding nursery rhymes could gain access.

If he thought the entrance was bad, it did nothing to prepare him for the common room. Hades nearly froze as it came into sight. The basement was round, low-ceilinged and honey-toned. _It's a burrow,_ Hades realized in horror, staring at all the yellow hangings, overstuffed sofas and circular windows that displayed dandelions and flowering cacti _._ Helga Hufflepuff herself stood at the helm of the mess, her portrait golden and glowing as she toasted the newcomers with an ornate cup.

"Beautiful isn't it?" the boy prefect asked, puffing his chest out as the first years cooed and gasped.

Hades felt sick.

His dormitory was in the cellar, down a round passageway ( _a damn burrow)_. The impossibly small boy from the lake ride was ushered in beside him, but Hades hardly noticed in his dazed stupor. The dormitory had four-poster beds, like his father always described, but they were covered in _patchwork quilts_. Warm copper lamps swung overhead, their rhythm not unlike school aged children on swing sets in the twilight of a late summer's night. Hades' head swam with the incense infused warmth of the round room. It clogged his senses until he could hardly see straight.

His feet lead him to the bed tucked away in the corner. If he hoped the corner would provide him with some comforting darkness or dampness, he was sorely disappointed. Honeyed warmth seeped from every centimeter of the quilted bed. His heart pounded against his ribcage, threatening to burst through. _Wrong,_ his very veins seemed to sing, _w_ _rong._

He put a hand on the bed. The quilt seemed to draw it in, cushioning his calloused hand in its sickening warmth and comfort. _It will fold around me, trap me inside and I'll never be free,_ Hades thought, half-hysterical. A sound wanted to break forth from his throat. He clenched his teeth tightly together, refusing to let it through. His roommates buzzed in the background, laughing and talking in cheerful, bright voices that chipped away at Hades' faltering sanity. Their voices, the sticky warmth of the dormitory, it all clung to Hades' skin, sunk into his lungs, threatening to choke him. He had to escape.

Wand clutched tightly in his hand, Hades' eyes darted around, looking for an exit. There were windows up high, but the bright light betrayed the open fields beyond. Open, exposed: unsafe. The door? No, that meant returning to the common room, whose warmth was just as suffocating but filled with more eyes, more voices. Hades' eyes went to the damned bed.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Hades' eyes narrowed: Olympians were no cowards. Determined, Hades climbed into the downy soft bedding, wrenching the curtains shut around him. He held his wand aloof, his heart somewhere in his throat. He could still hear the noise, feel the heat. His fingers twitched. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath like Hestia taught him. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Slow, count to five, exhale. In . . . out. In . . . out.

_Hufflepuff?_

That was impossible. Hades stared at his wand. It had to be a mistake. Hades Olympian wasn't a useless, soft Hufflepuff. He was a Slytherin, like his father before him. He was spitting image of Kronos Olympian, not a badger. What would his mother think when she got the news?

_You'll talk to the Headmaster tomorrow and he'll sort this all out before she knows,_ Hades told himself firmly, crushing the frightened, whimpering part of his mind into oblivion. The headmaster would see the Sorting Hat's error and put him where he properly belonged.

His stomach didn't settle at the thought, churning sickeningly as the boy forced himself to lay down. He sunk into the bed, the damn thing threatening to swallow him whole. Hades clutched his wand tight, staring at nothing. He would fix it tomorrow. He closed his eyes and the soft voices of his new (temporary) roommates floated in:

"The other kid? Is he really, you know?"

"The son of a dark wizard?"

"Kronos Olympian, one of the worse there was. I heard he—" the voice dropped.

" _No_ , really _?"_

"I dunno," the voice was small and squeaky, "he was sorted into Hufflepuff right? He can't be all bad if he was sorted into our house. I mean, he looked alright to me."

A slightly deeper voice snorted, "Alright? Did you see him? His eyes are practically _black._ I don't know how he tricked the hat into sorting him into our house, but mark my words: black magic runs in that family."

Hades squeezed his eyes tighter. _It doesn't matter, they don't matter,_ he told himself, rolling over and tucking the quilt around himself despite the already suffocating heat of the room. _You knew you weren't going to make friends here anyway,_ he chastised, pulling the blanket over his head. He held his wand against his racing heart and forced himself to sleep.

 

 

 

 

Hades woke up in a pool of sweat. He had to literally peel the quilt off his skin, revealing the gross sheen of sweat that clung to every part of him. The air still smelled like honey and dirt. Hades peeled himself out of bed, or at least tried to. It took him three tries to escape the enveloping mattress. When he finally defeated the evil mattress and emerged victorious, his roommates were already up and moving. The impossibly small boy looked up at his rummaging. Hades tried to ignore his watchful eyes as he prepared for the day. The others got dressed with minimal giggling and chatter. Hades took his time, patiently waiting for them to disperse so he could have some semblance of peace.

He stiffened when he felt the tiny boy pad across the room. He felt the kid's footsteps reverberate through the ridiculously plush floor and Hades' vertebrates locked into place with every vibration.

"Hades, is it?"

Hades stared at the wall, considering utterly ignoring the boy. He caught sight of the boy's shadow, which put the boy barely at even height with Hades' shoulders. Hades turned around.

"Yes," he said stiffly, staring into the impossible blue of the tiny boy's eyes. So much hope, Hades didn't know how the kid didn't drown in it.

"Hades Olympian," Hades reminded the kid, his voice emotionless. He expected the kid to flinch, to gasp or something equally dramatic.

"Rhadamanthus Europan," the kid introduced, holding a hand out.

"Great Merlin," Hades couldn't help muttering. Surely this tiny kid couldn't have such a giant name?

The kid's solemn face broke into a grin. "Yeah, I get that a lot—you can just—"

"Hey, Europan," one of the other boys interrupted. "Come on, let's go get breakfast."

Rhadamanthus hesitated, his hand still hovering in the air between himself and Hades. His eyes flickered over to their roommates, uncertainty painted across his face like when Demeter wore their mother's makeup: overpowering. Hades kept his face impartial, returning to his task of getting ready.

"Enjoy breakfast," he intoned, his back to the boys.

"Yeah, come on Europan," one of the other boys urged, stepping forward to tug at Europan.

"We'll save you a seat!" Europan called as they stumbled out of the dormitory, the door swinging shut behind them.

It was quiet in the wake of their departure. The dormitory was still uncomfortably warm and bright, which Hades tried to ignore as he peeled his sweat soaked nightshirt from his back. Redressing proved a difficult task, made a little easier by a cold shower. Tucked in the cramped bathroom, Hades stared at the reflection in the mirror, tilting his chin up and back straight.

The image staring back at him had the strong jawline of his father, still a little round in the face, black eyes sunken in a pale vintage while midnight strands of hair immaculacy cut framed it all. He looked like a regal pureblood: a Slytherin. All the headmaster had to do was take one look at him and he'd understand. Satisfied, Hades headed to the Great Hall. When he slunk into the hall, students had already began dispersing, off to their first class of the day. He could see Europan sandwiched between their roommates down the Hufflepuff table, their cheeks rosy with excitement and innocence.

Hades sat at the end of the table, away from the obnoxious sea of yellow. As he reached for the marmalade, his eyes flickered up to the high table, where Headmaster Dippet sat in conversation with one of the other teachers. Hades let his eyes fall back to his plate, methodically spreading the marmalade. He would approach Dippet after breakfast. The breakfast crowd grew thinner. At some point, between tastelessly munching on his breakfast and watching Dippet, his schedule had appeared at his elbow. Hades gave it a courtesy glance before raising his eyes once more to find Dippet.

The headmaster was rising. Hades watch him pat an auburn haired professor's shoulder, exchanging quick words, before exiting the hall. Hades smoothed out his schedule, feeling the tension bleed from his tightly wound body.

After dinner then, perhaps.

His first class was Charms. Hades finished his breakfast, making sure to take the time and carefully rid his hands of any lingering marmalade, before gathering his things and rising to find his class. The day trickled by, finding the eldest Olympian at the back of his classes with his quill at the ready, staring out the window at the vast expanse that was now his to explore. Dinner came and went. Dippet left early once more. From his seat at the end of the Hufflepuff table, Hades watched him with a sort of a resignation.

_Tomorrow,_ Hades vowed as he made his way back to the suffocating burrow that masqueraded as a dormitory. Students naturally parted way for him, whether for the blackness of his visage or his lineage, Hades wasn't sure. Feet shuffled towards him only to break before contact; he paid it all little mind. Head bowed, he veered too late when one pair failed to divert course.

"My apologies—" Hades started to grumble, intent on moving on as quickly as possible when he recognized the person he unintentionally collided with: Patroclus.

They stood frozen, the Ravenclaw staring down at Hades with wide eyes.

"Hades—" Patroclus started to say, his hand reaching out as if to steady the boy then thought better of it.

Hades stared back. Patroclus' shoulders were tense, the corner of his lips pulled down.

"You . . . you never properly introduced yourself." It sounded like an accusation.

"Neither did you." Hades evenly met the Ravenclaw's eyes, chin held high. _Dignity, grace, honor._ Patroclus closed his mouth.

"What would you have done had I?" Hades asked, his voice even and low. He curled his fingers into fists, ignoring the tremors that threatened to give him away.

"I . . ." Patroclus' brow furrowed. "I don't know."

"Patroclus!"

If Hades didn't know better, he'd say Achilles apparated to Patroclus' side. The newly minted Gryffindor grabbed Patroclus by the arm, yanking him back, a black scowl on his young, round face. Hercules and Theseus flanked Achilles' free side, chests puffed out and appearing far larger than Hades remembered.

"What do you want, _Olympian?"_ Hercules stressed his name, face twisting like the word was poison.

Patroclus opened his mouth, closed it. It didn't matter; Hades Olympian was used to defending himself. Hercules towered at nearly half a head above the young wizard but he had nothing on Kronos. Hades wasn't afraid.

"I was wondering where all your hospitality had gone."

Tucked nearly under Patroclus' arm, Achilles frowned at him. "Why . . . why did you let us believe—"

"I didn't let you believe anything. You let yourself. You never asked."

"Trying to get secrets from us?" Theseus' face was red, eyes shining bright. Hades remembered his Muggle shoes and felt a pang somewhere in his chest. "Find weakness? Finish your father's work?"

Hercules rested a hand on Theseus' elbow. It was brotherly, an overprotective display of support. Achilles clung to Patroclus and suspicion swam thick in their eyes. And something in the way Theseus stood half behind one of Hercules already broad shoulders, Achilles' fingers digging into Patroclus' arm. Hades knew fear when he saw it.

Instead of replying, Hades lifted his chin and met Hercules' eyes evenly.

"Stay away from us," Hercules demanded and none of the others objected. Hades didn't turn his head to look, wouldn't give any of them the satisfaction or betray any weakness, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Patroclus look down.

With a protective hand on Theseus shoulder, Hercules turned around, ushering the crowd away, Theseus and Patroclus first. Patroclus twisted around and maybe his face was apologetic but he made no move to stop his friends. Hades watched them go, something settling and solidifying in his stomach. Other students had stopped to watch the episode, little round-faced first years casting frightened eyes on the solitary boy.

Hades steeled his bones, his head held high: _dignity, grace, honor._ His head remained high the rest of the walk to the Hufflepuff common room.

 

 

 

 

Days turned into weeks. Hades went to class, took notes, scouted the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Dippet continued to finish his meals before the Great Hall was empty, disappearing before Hades could rise and ask the question that forever burned on his tongue: _why?_

Classes were tolerable. Hogwarts was after all the (arguably, as Demeter would say) best wizarding school in the world; Hades reminded himself of this as he sat, back straight and face blank, in the back of each classroom, taking notes diligently and carefully. He was here to learn, to better himself, so he could become a great wizard and restore the family name.

It was on the Monday of his second week when the owl came. Hades recognized the ebony wings as soon as the owl, Tartarus, swooped into the Great Hall. His back stiffened, the hand that gripped his knife going white. He half-expected Tartarus to make a pass over the Slytherin table—where else would Rhea expect Hades to be?—but the regal owl never wavered, gracefully arching to land with pomp and circumstance on Hades' stiff shoulder. Tartarus didn't turn his head to survey the eldest son of the Olympian house, staring perfectly ahead like a good purebred owl.

Hades didn't waste time with niceties, not that Tartarus would care, the proud beast. Hades took the time to wipe his hands clean, slowly pulling the napkin over each of his fingers individually and ignoring the light tremor that no one could see but he could _feel._ Tartarus' talons dug into Hades' shoulder at the delay, his wings quivering as the proud owl fought the urge to twitch. _Hurry up, I'm a busy owl,_ his posture clearly read.

_Busy running Mother's gossip circle now that Father is gone,_ Hades thought as he untied the letter from Tartarus' leg.

Hades locked his back into a ramrod position as he unfurled the parchment and his mother's looping scrawl came into focus:

_My dearest child, Hades,_

_I waited to write you until your second week so you could get adjusted without a worried mother's pestering. But a mother can only tarry for so long: I miss my little darlings so when they leave me. I wish I could say the house was quieter without you and your sisters but without your sisters' sweet intervention and your strong will, it seems your brothers have increased their volume. It is alright, it rather distracts me from the emptiness of the house. Zeus has grown since you left two weeks ago, if you believe it or not. I believe he'll be even taller than Poseidon, although don't tell him that. Life is a good at home, so you needn't worry, even if we miss you dearly. Yes, even your brothers though I daresay they shall never admit it. Your sisters have both already written and I expect shall write you once they get settled, the dears._

_How is Hogwarts? How are your classes? Are your roommates to your liking? I hope they are nice boys, but chin up even if they aren't: there are plenty of students who would be lucky to befriend you. You are eating enough, aren't you? I know Hogwarts has feasts, but a mother worries. Make sure you eat three meals a day, dearie, you're a growing boy._

_I know you are still getting settled in so I don't want to overwhelm you. Write whenever you can, my heart._

_Love,_

_Your ever affectionate and proud mother_

Hades blinked at the letter. He flipped it over but the back only held the remains of the Olympian seal from when he sliced the letter open. He flipped it back over, frowning as he carefully read the words over once more. Then again.

Tartarus nipped his ear.

"Knock it off," Hades said, scowling at the beast. "Here, have some of my sausage you beast."

If owls could look horrified, Tartarus' would at this offering.

"It's all I have you ungrateful feather brain, eat it or leave it but leave me in peace before I turn you into a quill," Hades warned.

Tartarus stared forward once more, ever the proud beast. _Owls,_ Hades thought with a roll of his eyes. He traced his mother's words, lingering on _proud mother_.

_She made no mention of my house,_ Hades thought. Did she not know? That seemed unlikely and yet . . . _proud_ mother. _She doesn't know,_ Hades thought with a sinking heart. Well. He looked at Tartarus.

"Are you going to eat the sausage or not?" he demanded. "Because if not, I will finish my breakfast."

Tartarus didn't move.

"Fine. Then be gone. Explore the forest and I will call once I have written a reply."

Tartarus took to the sky, digging into Hades' shoulder deeper than necessary as he took flight, his talons cutting into the dark material of Hades' robes.

"Stupid bird," Hades grumbled, running his finger over the cut in an attempt to smooth the fabric over and hide the damage. "As if it's my fault they don't serve caviar."

Hades carefully tucked the letter away in his bag and returned to his breakfast. The letter burned against his side as Hades made his unhurried way to his Care of Magical Creature's class. He kept his head high, shoulders stiff. He was so busy looking ahead and walking straight that he almost missed it: the struggling little mass tangled in one of the giant drapes of the Entrance Hall.

Hades paused, his eyes flickering over to the distraction. His mind urged him to move forward, he had class, but down the hall he spotted the caretaker cursing and waving around a broom, a bottle of something black and fuming in his hand. He had seen his sisters fight off doxy infestations enough times to recognize doxycide when he saw it. Hades watched the caretaker scream and spray giant blooms of violet potion, then looked at the struggling creature desperately trying to escape the drapes tangled around its body. Its black eyes took up half its face, its little fingers desperately clawing at the material that bound it as it violently twisted yet the creature made no sound. Its little chest expanded and contracted in quick, panicked succession.

Hades stepped closer and its black eyes fixed on him. The little doxy bared its knifelike teeth but dared not make a sound. Its struggle grew weaker, its little body tense.

"Alright, alright," Hades murmured, his voice low and barely audible. He stepped closer and the doxy tried to lurch forward, intent on sinking its poisonous teeth into him.

"Easy does it," Hades told it, taking off his hat. He bent to take a good look at the creature' predicament.

The doxy snapped its jaws at him. Hades' right eyebrow rose.

"If you bite me, I'll leave you to him, got it?" Hades scolded the doxy, forking his thumb down the hall at the still cursing caretaker. "Now hold still so I can get you out."

The doxy kept its teeth bared. Hades wrapped his hand in the hat, eyeing the creature with thin lips. "Bite me and I will not hesitate to let him have you," Hades warned again as he reached forward.

The doxy lurched forward and Hades froze, one eyebrow rising judgmentally.

"What did I say?" Hades reminded it. "I will get up and leave, don't tempt me, foul beast."

The doxy pursed its tiny black mouth.

"Good. Hold still."

Hand still firmly wrapped, Hades reached forward. The doxy twisted, and Hades almost thought it was going in for the bite. Instead, its beady black eyes watched as Hades gently pulled the drape from around its hairy body.

"There you are," Hades said when the pest was finally free. "No, ah, ah, wait." He clapped his hat around the little doxy. "If he sees you, you're still dead."

The doxy froze, staring up at Hades.

"Stay in there and wait."

Hades didn't really expect the doxy to follow instructions but to his surprise the little creature plopped down, legs sprawling gracelessly, in the middle of his hat. Hades kept the surprise off his face, he was an Olympian after all. He carried the hat at his side, just barely turned up so the doxy didn't fall out as he made his easy way towards class. The doxy stayed silent and hidden for the whole ride, until they emerged from the castle into the sunlight. Hades rolled his shoulders, casting his eyes around. Students paid him little mind, content and full of breakfast as they chatted and went about their mornings.

Hades crouched down, as if inspecting something wrong with his shoes, and laid the hat on the ground.

"Go on then, and mind that you don't return to the castle," he sternly told the creature. "I shan't be able to rescue you a second time."

The doxy blinked black eyes up at him.

"I have class to go to, if you don't mind," Hades told it, giving his hat a little shake.

The doxy's wings fluttered; it arched out of his hat to land upright in the grass. It blinked its black eyes up at him again.

"I mean it, stay out of the castle."

Hades stood, brushing off his robes. He didn't look back as he adjusted his bag and headed to Care of Magical Creatures.

The class didn't have a classroom as much as class-space. A stone's throw from the groundkeeper's cabin sat the space designated for Professor Kettleburn's class. Kettleburn was a new teacher, and a rather disliked one Hades gathered not that he cared much. Most of the students were scattered across the grass when Hades walked up, chattering away as they waited for their professor. Care of Magical Creatures was one of the most tolerable parts of the week, but Hades strongly disliked how he was forced to sit in the grass. Terribly undignified.

He carefully tucked his disgust away as he forced his legs to cross and settled into the grass like a heathen, or worse like Zeus when Mother sent him out to play. His bag leaned against his leg, burning hot with his mother's letter. Hades resolved not to look at it, not to think about. He knew what it said, the urge to double-check was nonsensical and yet—

A girl plopped down beside him.

Hades stiffened, his mind going blank.

The girl rummaged around in her bag, the rattle of books and ink bottles grating in its proximity as she pulled out a scroll and spread it across her lap. Hades kept his eyes forward, his mind racing: what was the meaning of this? There were plenty of spots to sit. Nobody sat next to Hades Olympian.

"You know, it's customary to greet people when they grace you with their presence," the girl said.

Hades' head turned of its own accord, but his face blessedly remained impassive. The Hufflepuffs shared Care of Magical Creatures with Ravenclaw and his unwelcomed guest belonged to the latter House. Her blood lineage was not immediately apparent, although she held herself with pride. Or perhaps it was arrogance. She was pretty enough Hades supposed, taller than Hades in the way most eleven-year-old girls were. Her skin was dark, hair perfectly groomed and auburn in color. Slytherin-green eyes stared out her face, the intensity of which made Hades want to stand and pick a new place to sit. Except that was like retreat and Olympians did not retreat.

"I am Cassandra," she introduced herself unprompted.

Hades just stared at her.

"It's also customary that when a person offers their name, the other offers theirs in return," Cassandra went on, unhindered. "Regardless, I know your name, Hades Olympian."

Hades continued to stare at the girl, magic humming through his veins as he waited, poised. His wand was in his pocket, it wouldn't take much to reach out and draw it, but how to do it without the girl noticing—

"You're not wearing Hufflepuff colors."

"Astute observation skills," Hades couldn't help but offer in return. The sarcasm usually worked as a deterrent but the girl just grinned.

"What were you doing in the grass?" the girl asked.

"Sitting, pleasantly unbothered until a moment ago."

"Not here, at the castle, with the thing in your hat."

The doxy. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Was that a doxy?"

Silence.

"They're poisonous you know."

He knew. Inside, his stomach clenched. Doxy were indeed poisonous and she had to be wondering what the demonic son of Kronos Olympian was doing with one. Perhaps she would tell people he was making poisons. Great, the next time some pathetic bloke got an upset stomach, fingers would point to him. _Dignity, pride, honor._ He would weather it. Perhaps he simply wouldn't eat in the Great Hall for the next—

The girl snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Ah there you are, afraid I lost you there for a minute." She sounded amused.

"Is this a threat?" Hades asked evenly.

Cassandra blinked. "Is what a threat? Doxies? Well, they are poisonous you know, I cannot say I know any who would carry one around in their hat. Until now I suppose."

She grinned and, like a blessing from God, Professor Kettleburn appeared. They were studying flubberworms (boring, useless creatures) and as the first years gathered around the large wooden boxes full of the creatures, Cassandra kept to Hades' side. He kept his face glued to the slowly inching flubberworms and tried not to make the clenching of his jaw too obvious.

"Awful boring things," Cassandra whispered to him as Kettleburn nattered on. "Nothing like doxies. Reckon we'll ever learn about them? I hear they overlap with DADA. Kettleburn released a swarm of them into a classroom once to prove he should teach them, I heard."

Hades' eyes flickered up to their rather eccentric teacher. Kettleburn waved his arm around, conspicuously drawing attention to the left side, where a twin arm could not be found. Lost it last year, Hades had overheard Chiron telling Poseidon once. Some sort of reckless accident with a creature from the Forest.

"So why are we on flubberworms?" Cassandra wondered out loud, apparently unbothered by Hades' silence.

Hades was fairly certain they were studying the boring, slow-moving creatures _because_ of the very doxy incident Cassandra referred to. That or one of the many other crazy incidents their Cares teachers was involved in. He kept the thought to himself, however, afraid it would only encourage the girl. Instead, he offered a shrug.

"What animal do you hope we'll get to this year?" Cassandra asked, moving from one question to the next as though they were having an actual two-way conversation instead of the nonverbal exchange that was taking place. "Personally, I'd like to see a unicorn."

"Unicorns aren't until third year," Hades couldn't help but say.

"Third year? Bummer." Cassandra didn't actually looked put out, rather her eyes were sparkling and a smirk appeared on her face. "But what about you, huh? Come on, what creature would you like to see, even if you know we won't?"

"It doesn't matter if we don't."

"Yes it does." Cassandra was grinning widely now, every one of her teeth showing. Hades half expected her face to split clean in two it was so expansive. He tried to discreetly take a step to the side, inch away from the crazy girl, but she followed him, peering down at the flubberworms as though they were actually interesting creatures.

"What people feel and think is important," Cassandra said, her eyes suddenly intense as they slowly panned up to zero in on the eldest son of Kronos. "It doesn't do us well to bottle it inside, leaving it to fester and grow until the darkness eats us from the inside out." A dark shadow fell across her face and she suddenly looked much, much older than only eleven. "We mustn't be quick to judge the thoughts of others or to ignore the thoughts of ourselves as only misery lies down that path. Let it go."

Hades leaned back in alarm as Cassandra invaded his space, her eyes glazed over and voice deep. The girl blinked and, like waving a wand, the look was gone.

"Besides, it's fun to pretend!" she announced brightly, returning to a respectful distance from Hades. "So come on, what animal?"

It was the longest lesson Hades had the misfortune of attending thus far in his career at Hogwarts (which, given the two-week duration of his stay wasn't saying much even if it felt significant at the time). When Kettleburn gave them their leave, Hades snatched up his things half-hazardously and all but ran to Herbology. Except Olympians didn't run so it was a rather brisk walk. He was terrified the girl might actually follow but no. What she did felt equally terrible however, as his retreating back briskly walked away, Cassandra lifted a hand into the air, calling:

"Bye Hades, we'll talk again tomorrow."

Horrifying.

"Hey Hades, are you alright?"

Even though he saw Cassandra waving from her walk back up to the castle, Hades couldn't help stiffening at the voice, an inexplicable horror filling him. When his eyes flickered to the side though, it was only the small boy from his dormitory, the one with the impossibly large name: Rhadamanthus. What was his last name? It was far easier to swallow. Europan?

"I am fine," Hades replied when the tiny boy's brow began to furrow, the kid himself leaning forward.

"You look like you've seen a dragon," Europan said, lips turning down and not looking convinced.

_No, this was far worse,_ Hades thought. "I am fine," he repeated. Then, because Europan looked about a minute from doing something drastic like volunteering to walk him to the Hospital Wing, added, "I got a letter this morning."

Europan's face smoothed out, the frown disappearing but being replaced by something that lurked around his young eyes and the corners of his mouth that was equally unpleasant: pity.

"Okay," Europan's voice was low. "Well. If you need to talk—" _oh great Merlin_ "—I'm here."

Merlin smiled upon him because Europan turned his attention to their professor next, leaving Hades to stew in this strange, mess of a day. The lesson began and Hades had trouble focusing. At his elbow, Europan held his bouncing bulb gently, the little purple plant practically vibrating with contentment. Hades' kept smacking him in the face. Class seemed to drag on and by the time they were finally dismissed, Hades had a red welt on his forehead from the bulb's repeated attack.

"I could ah, show you how to properly handle them next time," Europan began hesitatingly as they trudged back to the castle.

Hades hummed instead of responding, a monstrous headache pounding between his ears. All he wanted to do was curl up without his disgustingly plush bed swallowing him and go to sleep. It wasn't until he changed into his pajamas (which, unlike Europan's colorful mix-matched ensemble was monotone and monogrammed) that he remembered his mother's letter. Rhea's artful calligraphy was only slightly wrinkled when he retrieved the letter from his bag. Tucked away from prying eyes inside his bed, Hades smoothed the letter out and let his black eyes trail over it once more. He needed to write back. Rhea would not tolerate silence. Nor would Tartarus tolerate being kept waiting. Hades shuddered to think of the neighbors' reactions if one of the common Hogwarts owls delivered Hades' letter. Mother would probably forgive him but people would talk.

Hades carefully balanced his inkwell on his knee as he smoothed out a roll of parchment.

_Dearest Mother,_

His quill paused.

_Dearest Mother,_

_Your letter has found me well and I am glad to hear that you and my brothers are the same. Do not let the boys run amok over you, they will if you let them. Should they tire you, enforce chores upon them. In fact, do it anyway. It should do them some good. As for your questions, you needn't worry about me, Mother dearest. I am as well as I have ever been. Hogwarts is vast and full of things to discover, so I shall never be bored. Classes are well. I fear I shall never be the Herbology prodigy that Demeter is but I daresay that shall make her happy to hear. My roommates—_

Hades hesitated once more. Rhea made no mention of his sorting. Did she know that he lived in the dirt with the badgers? Or did she envision her darling son living among the silent snakes of his father, as he should be? Hades remain immobile, staring at his mother's words until the letter hardly made sense. If she . . . if she made no mention of it, need he? A drop of ink, collected on the tip of his quill from its lengthy suspension above the parchment, succumbed to gravity and plummeted down, splashing against his bottoms. Hades blinked down at it, a bit surprised.

At least the fabric was black. Hades carefully set the quill inside the inkwell before cleaning the droplet up, diligently and methodically. When he was finished, he picked the quill back up and, before he could change his mind, set back to writing.

_My roommates are adequate. I am afraid we have little in common but they are perfectly respectable individuals. I am eating to my fill, the banquets are grand and all a growing child could ever hope for. My health is not in neglect. Your predictions, as always, are proving correct; I am growing into the cloak. Tell me if the miscreants give you much trouble_ _and I shall be on the lookout for the letters of my sisters. Take care Mother and do not let the little demons overrun you._

_Your ever affectionate and loyal son,_

_Hades_

The ' _y'_ in loyal was too loopy, the ' _l'_ lopsided as Hades' hand betrayed him as he spelled the word out. Quite unnecessary, he told himself firmly. He was as affectionate and loyal as ever. He was making plans to talk to Dippet after all. As he closed his eyes, Hades tried to bury the part of him that whispered he wasn't really planning at all.

Hades dreamt in green that night. Green was the sky, green were the halls he traveled by, and green were the hands that stretched before him to open the silent, green door. Men, with faces unimportant, emerged from the door and on their scarves, green snakes blazed like fire.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JK gives two different accounts of how to get into the Hufflepuff common room. I went with the one currently on Pottermore. Yes I am aware that Care of Magical Creatures is for 3rd years and up but I need it to be Hades' best class so let's pretend after Kettleburn's craziness Dumbledore moves it to a 3rd year class after he becomes headmaster yeah?


	3. Chapter 3

Breakfast was generally a rather miserable affair. Tartarus tarried not; Hades barely had time to tie the letter to his leg before the bird was off, arching gracefully through the throng of morning mail to disappear.

Hades ate his food without tasting it, head high as he ignored the way Hufflepuffs deliberately sat as far from his possible and Patroclus ' eyes burned from the Ravenclaw table. When the warm body plopped next to him, unannounced, it took Hades at least thirty good seconds to register that a person, a real, living person, had actually sat beside him.

"Great Merlin, what are you eating?"

Hades' mouth worked and for a moment, his surprise was so great that he forgot how to talk. The girl from Care of Magical Creatures, Cassandra, swiped a blood sausage clean off his plate, with her bare fingers, while waiting.

"You're not in Hufflepuff," was all he could manage to say when his throat remembered how to work, his voice calm and not betraying the shock that rolled in his soul.

Cassandra munched on her stolen sausage, staring unnervingly right into Hades' eyes. He lifted his chin, refusing to be intimidated. If his black eyes freaked her out, she hid it well.

"And one would wonder about you," she said. "To what house do you belong, Hades?"

Hades wondered if she could hear the thunderous pounding of his heart. It fluttered in his veins, destroying his appetite. Was he that transparent? No, no he was Olympian, he was made of stone. He didn't . . . he wasn't . . .

"Hufflepuff, obviously," his voice was expressionless. "Although, perhaps seating arrangements do not denote individual's houses. Or perhaps you got confused because yellow looks so much like blue."

Cassandra honest to Merlin cackled. "I knew you had a wicked sense of humor but to hear it," she cackled, looking like Zeus at Christmas.

Hades didn't frown, Olympians did not show emotion, but the word knew echoed in his mind. It was a strange phrasing and from anyone else, he would dismiss it for a turn of phrase. The way Cassandra said it, however, gave him a pause. He had little time to deliberate over it, for at that moment Cassandra's eyes flickered up. One of the teachers, Dumbledore was it?, was calmly strolling towards them, eyes clearly fixed on Cassandra.

Actually, now that he was paying attention, Hades realized that more than half of the Great Hall was fixed on the pair.

"Well, see you in class, Hades," she said and the crazy girl had the gall to squeeze his shoulder before vacating the table.

Dumbledore, dressed in obnoxious yellow, walked calmly by the now alone Hades.

"Making friends are we, Mr. Olympian?" he asked.

Hades decided Dumbledore was his least favorite teacher.

"Hardly, sir."

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes grew larger. Hades decided to skip breakfast. True to her threat, Cassandra appeared at his side during their next Care class. And the next one. And the next. It turned into a very uncomfortable tradition, one that Hades wasn't sure how to break.

"Perhaps you'd like a new partner," he tried one day.

"I wouldn't."

"I do not take pleasure in chatter."

"And yet here you are, talking to me."

"I am an Olympian."

"I am aware."

"Care of Magical Creatures is my worst class."

"You are a two-tongued liar, Hades Olympian. Cares is your best class. You like animals and they like you."

Hades hadn't known how to respond to that one.

"They don't annoy me," he had replied after a moment.

Cassandra's answering smile could almost have been called fond.

 

 

September waned, giving way to October, filled with skeletons and dead ghosts galore, but even October faded to make room for November and then December was upon them. The Astronomy Tower was Hades' favorite place to study. It was quiet, dark, and there was hardly anyone around to bother him. Occasionally, it also made him privy to the shenanigans of Hogwarts's ne'er-do-wells. And this particular snowy night, his Potions book spread across his lap, was such a night. He watched, interest peaked, as a gaggle of Slytherin fifth years not so quietly snuck around the tower, toting a brown package.

They chortled to themselves, their words harsh and cruel, and the package gave an unpleasant jolt. Their merriment was short-lived.

"Shit, somebody's coming, quick hide it, hide it!"

Hades' eyebrows rose as one of the bulky boys shoved the box behind a statue. It wasn't the most imaginative of hiding places. You have a wand, Hades thought with a roll of his eyes. Honestly. He was surrounded by such drivel, such idiots. Hades was both unsurprised and unimpressed when the Astronomy teacher appeared around the corner and, fifty points from Slytherin later, the boys were ushered down the stairs with promises of detention for a week.

Hades returned to his Potions revision. The tower carried a chill and outside the window down the hall, snow blustered about in great waves of white. Christmas loomed in the distance and with it Christmas holiday. The thought of the holiday caused Hades' stomach to clench. Rhea wrote regularly, Tartarus appeared every other week bearing greetings from his mother, but never once was his house mentioned. It was a false sense of safety, one Hades knew could only last so long. He shifted uncomfortably, staring down at his book. Perhaps he should give up for the night.

Hades tucked his Potions things away and was just getting to his feet when he heard a loud thump. He froze, wand clenched in his fist. It came again.

"Lumos," Hades muttered, holding his wand aloof.

The corridor was empty. Hades swept his eyes across the area, wand held steadily as he searched. Thump. It was coming from behind the statue. The package, Hades recalled.

He wouldn't put it passed the fifth years to bring in something dangerous. He should get a teacher but Olympians were no cowards. The noise came again. Hades' feet led him to the statue. The package thumped again. Hades watched it for a moment. Could be a creature? A ghost? A boggart?

"Specialis Revelio."

The top of the box simmered before becoming translucent to allow Hades to see inside. Something dark shuffled around inside, eight hairy legs spread out and probing. As if sensing the invasion, the hand size spider turned its many eyes to Hades.

"Help me," it said.

A damned acromantula, Hades thought. Surely the Slytherin couldn't be that stupid? Acromantulas were dangerous, not to mention illegal to transport.

"Help me," the acromantula repeated, its legs desperately scratching at the corners of the box.

Where did acromantula hail from? Hades couldn't remember. It wasn't like they would ever discuss the forbidden creatures in class, much less in a first-year class. Could he even send it back? Hades didn't know how the foolish Slytherins got their hands on it in the first place. No owl would carry a package containing an acromantula, not to mention the trouble he would get into if he were caught. So he should kill it.

"Help me," the acromantula repeated.

The package was too small for its already large body. Its legs were cramped and squished against the side of the container. Its pinchers were bent, blood trickling from a leg that had to be broken. A burn spread across its entire thorax.

"Do not hurt me," it said finally when Hades made no move.

"You are very far from home," Hades told it.

The acromantula clicked its pinchers. "I know. I am cold."

"If . . ." he shouldn't be thinking of letting the creature go. "If I released you, it would be colder."

The acromantula shuffled to the best of its limited mobility. "I know."

"You may not survive the cold."

"I will not survive the box."

That was fair. "Acromantulas eat humans. I don't know if you're aware, but this is a school. A big school full of young kids who do not know what acromantulas are or to be afraid of them. Why should I set you free if you'll only eat them?"

"If you release me, I will owe you a life debt. Acromantulas always honor life debts. Wizards are strange creatures; you give your word and then break it. Acromantulas know not how to do this. Once given, our promises last forever. Release me and I swear I shall never hurt so much as a hair on any witch or wizard's head in this castle."

"And what if they wander beyond the castle?" Hades was no stranger to loopholes.

The acromantula was silent for a moment. "What is the name of this school?"

"You are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"If you release me, I swear I shall never hurt any magical folk that attends the school of Hogwarts."

"Does that include the teachers?"

"All beings inside, teachers, students, squibs, and house-elves."

It was crazy to trust an acromantula—they were literally man-eaters. Yet Hades hesitated, staring down at the battered creature. It did have a point; wizards were adept at lying and inept at keeping their promises. Hades of all people would know.

"If I even think you will harm another, I will not hesitate to kill you," he told the acromantula.

"I understand these terms."

That settled it. Hades tucked the package inside his bag, carefully rearranged the contents so as to not squish the magical spider before straightening out. As though nothing had happened, Hades made his way back to the Hufflepuff dormitory. His roommates were fast sleep when he returned. Even Europan's curtains were pulled tight, the sound of light snoring coming from the bed next to his. Hades did not return to his own bed, however, but headed for the round window that sheltered a flowering cactus above their heads. He was barely tall enough to reach it and, grateful for the cover of night, had to resort to standing on his tiptoes to get the damn thing open.

Not what they designed it for, Hades thought wryly as he took out the package. Who ever would expect a Hufflepuff to set an acromantula free from their dormitory window? Another obvious reason I don't belong here, Hades thought as he pushed the box half out the opening.

"If you head back in instead of out," Hades warned, leaving the threat hanging.

"I will not."

Making sure to wedge the box in open window tightly, Hades withdrew one hand to grasp his wand. With a flick of his wrist, the package tore open. The acromantula didn't hesitate, scuffling forward the best it could in an eager bid for freedom. Hades, pulling himself up so he could see out the little hole, watched the creature drag its broken leg, its thorax bleeding.

"Hold still," he commanded.

The acromantula scuffled around a little, trying to get a look at him. Hades rose his wand and the creature bunched its legs, making a frantic effort to get out of the way.

"I said hold still," Hades repeated irritably. "I'm not going to—oh for Merlin's sake. Ossio Dispersimus."

By some stroke of luck, the spell hit. The dangling, useless limb shook, then snapped back into place, fixed and good as new.

"You—you—my leg."

"Yes, I fixed it. I don't know any spells to heal burns though, so you're on your own for that one."

The acromantula shuffled on its now eight perfectly working legs.

"Get a move on," Hades told it sternly. "You only have a few hours of night. There is a forest right ahead."

"Thank you."

"Get going," was Hades reply and he shut the window, making sure to lock it.

Ignoring the soft snoring coming from one of the beds down the row, Hades climbed into his own, pulling the curtains shut behind him. He had nothing to feel guilty about. After all, he certainly hadn't brought an illegal and highly dangerous creature into the castle. In fact, he got the damn thing out of the castle. He couldn't have killed it, with its broken leg and obvious signs of abuse.

This won't come back to haunt you, he tried to reassure himself as he closed his eyes.

Snow invaded Hogwarts during the night and when Hades woke, it was to a winter wonder land. Students frolicked in the newly formed tundra, giggling and shouting in various inadvisable decibels. Hades kept indoors, slinking into the Great Hall without any detour. He hardly needed to expend so much needless energy to discover the snow was cold and compactable, much less fall privy to the fifth and above years inevitable snowball fight. He was fixing his plate and eyeing his nearest companion, a third year Hufflepuff girl whose cheeks were ruby with cold and still had snow clinging to her hair, with an upturned nose and distain, when he overheard a familiar name.

"Cassandra, you know, the Ravenclaw girl."

"Yeah, yeah I've seen her. I think she's in our Cares class innit she?"

"I hear her talking to Orpheus the other day. She told him that he would become the best musician in all of Great Britain but it would come at a price." A boy, across the table and three people down, snickered, "Can—can you believe that? Turns out the crazy witch thinks she's some kind of a Seer."

More snickering.

"Orpheus? A musician? Bwhaha. Everybody knows he's going to work for the Ministry."

"Obviously. A Seer. Please. As if Seers were even real, but this girl thinks she's one at eleven."

Hades, focused on the conversation, almost missed the dark scuffle out of the corner of his eye. It caught his attention at the last moment and Hades tore his eyes from his plate, tuning out the foolish students, to zero in on the doorway to the Great Hall. Was that . . . ? Certainly not.

Hades watched the entrance. He told the acromantula to head out to the forest and leave Hogwarts alone. Surely it listened to him. It promised. But what if it didn't? What if a killer spider was on loose in Hogwarts because Hades didn't have the strength to kill it? What a useless Olympian he was turning out to be.

Determined, Hades rose from his seat, leaving his untouched breakfast behind. Nobody noticed, not that Hades would care much if they did. Keeping to the walls, Hades didn't need an invisibility charm not to be noticed, he was always the sort to avoid detection, and tread close to the dark crevices of the corridor outside the hall, searching. He didn't have to search long.

"Master."

Hades froze at the strangled whisper. Head perfectly still, his eyes flickered to an unassuming corner, where shadows fell in perfect camouflage. In fact, if the growing horror in Hades' gut weren't there, he would have missed the curled up acromantula.

He squashed his first reaction, which was to swear and stomp the ground like Zeus when Poseidon threw his favorite toy into the ocean during their last vacation; instead, his expression remained impassive as he walked, just as regal and slow as before, towards the corner.

"Master."

No one was paying attention. Hades planned to keep it that way. He dropped his bag, then leaned over to pick it up. The movement put him face to disappointed face with the acromantula.

"I told you to leave the castle," he told it sternly, motioning for the pest to shuffle into the bag.

The acromantula scuffled quickly forward, disappearing into Hades' bag without further prompting. Hades straightened and continued to walk.

"No," denied the pest, "you told me not to harm anyone in the castle. I have not and I never shall."

Loophole. Damn cognitive spider.

"Do you know what will happen if anyone else spots you?"

Hades lips barely moved as his feet carried him across the castle. Nobody meet his eyes, adverting their own the second their paths crossed. Hades found the avoidance even less concerning than he'd come to find it the last few months. In the moment, it was blessing. The snow crunched under his feet as he left the castle, Hades pulled his cloak tighter around his body and trudge forward.

"Yes," the acromantula admitted, unabashed. "But no one will. I am careful."

"What were you doing in the castle?"

"I came to see Master."

"I am not your master," Hades ground out through clenched teeth.

"I never caught your name," the skillful creature avoided.

Hades looked to the horizon. Mother always did that when the children had particularly tried her patience. Hades didn't know what it did for her, but he took a deep breath and only barely kept the exhaustion from his response:

"Hades Olympian."

"I am Mosag."

Hades made no response to that. Something niggled at the back of his mind; he looked over his shoulder but saw nothing but the distant roughhousing of students playing in the snow.

"Listen, I know it's cold but you have to stay out of the castle," Hades told Mosag sternly as he set her down outside the darkened threshold of the forest.

Mosag scuffled around, staring up at him.

"I will survive the cold," she said confidently. "It is you I worry about."

Hades' brow furrowed. "The castle and my clothes offer me plenty of warmth so you needn't worry."

"It isn't the cold I worry about."

Hades' frown deepened. Mosag clicked her mouthpieces together, staring up at him.

"Stay in the forest."

With that final bidding, Hades turned around. He only made it three steps when he looked over his shoulder and found a spider shaped shadow trudging in his footsteps.

"What part of stay in the forest don't you understand?" Hades demanded, his voice flat.

Mosag scuffled forward another step.

"No." Hades tried to imitate Hestia's voice when she reigned the boys in, stopping Zeus from throwing a temper tantrum or denying Poseidon a dip in the lake.

Mosag's front legs twitched.

"Back." Hades pointed to illustrate his point.

"Then who will keep their eyes on you?"

"I look after myself just fine, thank you very much." Hades' mouth barely moved, his eyebrows twitching. "Back, come on now, back to the forest."

He stepped forward and Mosag obligingly stepped back so Hades continued his advanced until all eight of her hairy legs were back in the forest.

"Stay this time," he told her, crossing his arms.

Mosag's mouthparts twitched. "You will come visit so I know you are alright?"

"I—" Hades wasn't about to cave into an overgrown spider, no matter how pitiful her multiple eyes were. She wasn't one of his sisters for crying out loud! Why did an acromantula want to check in on him like an unruly toddler?

Mosag looked ready to crawl forward.

"Yes." Hades could barely believe the words leaving his mouth. "If—if—you stay in the forest and don't enter the castle I will come check on you."

"You didn't eat breakfast this morning." Mosag sounded disappointed.

"You have no way of knowing that."

"I can smell you."

"Stop smelling me," Hades demanded, nostrils flaring.

"Can't be helped. I'm an acromantula not a wizard."

Hades decided this wasn't worth the fight. "Stay in the forest."

"Who will make sure you eat breakfast then?"

"I will."

Hades whirled around at the intruding voice, eyes widening as he took in the grinning figure of none other than Cassandra from Care of Magical Creatures. The crazy Ravenclaw winked at him before grinning down at the acromantula.

"I'll make sure he eats breakfast every morning, Mosag."

Mosag's multiple legs twitched. "How does the female know my name?"

"I know things," came Cassandra's benign response before Hades could interject. "Just like I know that you love Hades very much."

"Magic folk," Mosag muttered under her breath. Her mouthparts twitched. "You will make sure Hades eats?"

"Cross my heart." Cassandra made the motion to seal her promise, smiling down at the fist-sized spider. "As long as you follow Hades' wishes and stay in the forest where you're safe."

"I like the female one."

What was happening? Hades blinked down at Mosag, then over at Cassandra.

"Cassandra," she introduced herself, complete with a little curtsey.

"You will come and see me?" Mosag asked, turning her multiples eyes to Hades.

"How about every Friday night?" Cassandra suggested. "Do you know when Friday is?"

"It is a name you wizards assign to the days," Mosag said. "I can keep track if you tell me what today is."

"Today is Monday, but the holidays are coming up so Hades will probably be going home for a couple days, won't you Hades?"

What is happening? "I will."

"But he'll visit once he gets back and then we can start every Friday, how does that sound?"

Mosag thought about it. "I agree to these terms."

"Wonderful!" Cassandra beamed. "I'm sure you'll find the Forbidden Forest to be a wonderful home for you! Be careful! Don't get eaten!"

"I will not," Mosag promised. "I will see you soon, Hades."

"Bye-bye! Be safe!" Cassandra called, waving the acromantula off as she turned around and shuffled into the leaves of the dark forest.

"She's nice. And also an illegal, dangerous acromantula," Cassandra said, turning to Hades.

Hades' mouth worked but no words came out. "What acromantula?"

Hades didn't flinch at his own words, even as he reeled from the sheer stupidity that dared leave his stunned mouth. Cassandra laughed, a full bodied sound that shook her shoulders and sent trusses of auburn waves careening out from beneath her cap.

"I won't tell anyone," she promised. "Because Mosag is not a danger to anyone at this school anymore."

"Thank you." Hades' voice was stiff, eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

Cassandra beamed at him. "I saw you, you're not exactly inconspicuous."

"No, that's exactly what I am. I blend in with the shadows and move like a ghost."

Cassandra cracked up, laughing so hard she doubled over. Hades didn't appreciate it. His scowl grew as she howled.

"Oh Hades," she laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "You're funny." At his ever increasing scowl, she elaborated: "You're this big black blob against a sea of white, standing at the forest's edge looking like you can't make up your mind as you move towards and then away from it. Like I said, not exactly inconspicuous."

In the privacy of his own mind, Hades conceded that she had a point.

"So." She rubbed her hands together, watching the forest with a smile. "Where on earth did you find an acromantula, Hades?"

"I thought we agreed there was no acromantula."

"I agreed not to tell anyone about the very real acromantula, not to pretend it didn't exist."

"I don't see how its discovery is any of your business."

"She likes you." If Cassandra was put off by his response, her face didn't show it. "That's another dangerous creature you've rescued. Careful Hades, other people might start to see what a softie you are."

"Excuse you?" His voice was colder than the ice beneath their feet but Cassandra continued to grin.

"You don't fool me, Hades Olympian." Her eyes twinkled, snow catching in her hair. "You think the Sorting Hat was wrong, but you never confronted Dippet about it. Some part of you knows it was right." Her smiled grew soft. "You're not a bad guy."

Hades thought about the green snake hanging above his family's hearth and his mother's pride. "I am Kronos Olympian's son."

"Sure." Cassandra shrugged. "But that doesn't mean anything because you are not Kronos Olympian."

Hades pressed his lips together. Averting your eyes was a sign of weakness but he could barely stand the warm pity swimming in Cassandra's eyes.

"You're not a bad guy, but for some reason you want people to believe you are."

"People believe what they want."

"I think it's because you're afraid. You're afraid of being like him so you'd rather people think that now then to disappoint them later."

Hades' couldn't help the emotional response her words dragged out of him. His lips curled back, nose flaring, "You don't know what you're talking about, foolish girl."

"So you feel like you don't deserve to have friends. But you do. I am your friend."

"What?" What? "I don't have friends."

"Yes, you do. I am your friend." She winked, tapping her head. "I saw it. I am your friend and one day you will be mine. See you after the holiday, friend."

And with that terrible, strange, otherworldly prediction, Cassandra turned around, humming to herself, and made her way up the castle, leaving Hades frozen in a state of disbelief at the forest's edge.


	4. Chapter 4

The Olympian house was a sight to behold, its vast yard covered in a thick blanket of snow. The hedges stood strong, bearing the weight with a quiet stoicism. Ice sculptures, graceful and lifelike, adorned the porch. Inside, trees could be found in every corner, their lights aglow with the soft colors of Christmas. Hades barely passed the threshold when his sisters were upon him. Hestia wrapped him up in her strong arms, tucking his head under her chin.

"Oh Hades, look how you've grown!" She pulled away enough to stare into his face before enveloping him in her arms once more. "Oh, how I missed you, dearest."

Unable to deny his favorite sister the comfort, Hades let himself be suffocated. If he let his head rest against her, closing his eyes and enjoying the closeness, well, that was nobody's business but his own. She kissed the crown of his head before pulling back and Demeter was there to take her place.

"Are you eating enough?" Demeter fretted, taking his face in her hands.

"Yes, Demeter." He tried not to roll his eyes as she too tried to suffocate him. She smelled like the earth and Hades found himself relaxing against her too, his eyes tightly shut as he admitted, only in the privacy of his own mind, that he missed her too.

Their hug was disrupted as, a moment later, something was forcefully wedging itself between them and suddenly Zeus was there, scowling up at him. Hades narrowed his eyes back at the little twit. He didn't see what Rhea went on about, Zeus was as short as ever.

"You don't have a beard," Zeus cried, obviously disappointed. "Demeter! Mummy said he'd—"

"Just hush and hug him, dearest."

"I don't want a hug! Did you bring me anything from the castle? Come on Hades, where's my present—"

"Ungrateful brat," Demeter muttered under her breath, bending down to scoop the hellion up. "Greet your brother, you rascal!"

"Let me go!"

"Say hello to Hades, and be nice about it or to bed with you!"

"Hullo Hades," Zeus sullenly repeated, sulking in Demeter's arms.

"I hope you haven't been giving Mother trouble," Hades told the little boy severely as he twisted, his little legs flailing uselessly against Demeter.

"See! Hades is always so mean, I'm never being nice to him again!" Zeus declared shrilly. "Let me go, Demeter, I have better things to do!"

"Mother let you stay up to say hello to Hades, it's bedtime now for you," Demeter reprimanded. "So if you don't want to be nice to Hades, it's off to bed!"

Zeus wailed. The three elder Olympians ignored him.

"Poseidon, come say hello to your brother," Hestia demanded, calling over her shoulder as she reached out to fuss with Hades' collar.

Poseidon strode into the parlor on cue. He smiled charmingly at their oldest sister, always the little scammer, ducking under her outstretched arm.

"Welcome back, brother," he greeted.

"Poseidon."

They stared at each other for a moment, Hestia absently running her fingers through Poseidon's hair as Zeus wailed.

"He has been like that ever since you three left," Poseidon said with a painful sigh.

"And I suppose you've been an angel."

Poseidon flashed his teeth. "An absolute angel, brother dearest." He paused, eyeing Zeus. "I suppose . . . it may have been a bit boring around here without you."

Hades looked at his brother, who even at ten was creeping up on Demeter's height. He couldn't help but pity the boy, being left home with nobody but Zeus. Zeus, who was spoiled rotten and Mummy's precious little thing, who never knew the reign of Kronos. Poseidon might be a manipulative prat, but Hades did pity him.

"Only one more year and you'll be at Hogwarts."

Poseidon gazed at him thoughtfully, his green eyes, usually sparkling with dark humor, opaque and contemplative. Hades remembered the look well from when Kronos still walked their halls. "What's Hogwarts like?"

"Yes, Hades, we would all like to know," Hestia agreed. "Come, let's move into a room more comfortable, Mother is readying hot chocolate in the kitchen. Demeter, to bed with Zeus."

Hades wasn't jealous as Hestia kept her arm around Poseidon as they walked along the polished floors to the kitchen. He didn't need his sister's comfort. This was their Mother they were talking about, not Kronos. He loved his mother. There was nothing to be apprehensive about. Yet, this did him little good. His stomach twisted itself into knots by the time they reached the spacious, candlelit kitchen.

He was a  _Hufflepuff._ Not the Slytherin his family all expected, his mother  _wanted,_ him to be. He was a  _Hufflepuff,_ a member of the most useless, pathetic, cowardly houses. She would be disappointed in him. Hades didn't know if he could handle Rhea's disappointment. As they broke the threshold of the kitchen, he saw her standing there, one hand outstretched over a pan on the stove, twirling her fingers as she compelled their hot chocolate to warm. She half turned at the sound of their footsteps, and her eyes met his.

"Oh,  _Hades._ "

Rhea's eyes crinkled and for a terrible moment, Hades was afraid she might cry. His mother left the stove, dropping a glossy  _Witch's Weekly_ magazine to the floor as she threw out her arms and pulled him close.

"Oh my precious little boy, look at you! Oh! Oh, Hestia look at him!"

"I see him, Mother. He's just as handsome as when he left."

"Oh, he is," Rhea agreed, pulling back to take his face in her hands. There  _were_ tears in her eyes as she sniffled. She ran her thumbs over his cheeks, her smile so wide it looked painful.

"Welcome home, baby," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss him before tangling her arms around him once more.

"You look beautiful, Mother."

She laughed, a wet sound as she kissed the top of his head. "Oh darling, I'm so glad you're home. Oh, I'm so glad all of my children are home. It is so empty here without you. Come now, I shall stop crying and we shall enjoy some hot chocolate while you tell us all about Hogwarts okay?"

Hades agreed and his mother released all but his hand. They sat around the table as their mugs filled themselves, sliding before them while peppermint sticks danced above their heads. Rhea did love a good show. The Olympian house-elves slept peacefully while the mistress entertained her children. Demeter joined them a moment later and they settled in to tell stories.

"What is your dormitory like?" Rhea asked as she gracefully pulled a peppermint stick from midair. "Merlin knows your father told me all about his, but he never said much about Hufflepuff."

Hades choked on his hot chocolate, panic fogging his mind. She knew. She  _knew._

"There, there now," Hestia tsked, thumping him on the back. "Do they not have hot chocolate at Hogwarts?"

"No," Hades coughed, shaking his head as he gingerly set his mug down. "My apologies."

"Silly boy," Rhea said fondly.

Hades, clearing his throat and trying to dislodge the misplaced beverage, watched her smiling sweetly at Poseidon, wrinkling her nose in a tease as they laughed. She knew. What did that mean? How long had she known?

"It is . . . very round," he said, rather anticlimately.

"Round?" Rhea laughed some more.

"Rather like a burrow. It's underground. Uncomfortably warm. Lots of flowers."

"Sounds cozy," Hestia said, smiling benignly as she began stirring peppermint into her hot chocolate.

"How about your roommates?"

"One of them is unusually small."

"Oh, Hades." The girls all laughed as though he said something particularly funny.

The conversation turned to Hestia and Demeter next, who talked about their school and classes and other little whatnots until Poseidon began to yawn and Rhea ushered them all to bed.

"I am so glad you are home, my dearest," Rhea told him before turning in, kissing his forehead once more. "We shall have a wonderful Christmas."

 _Aren't you disappointed?_ Hades wanted to ask; the question burned on his tongue, searing into his lungs, but all that came out instead was, "Yes we shall Mother, sleep well."

Rhea's eyes were sad as she stroked his hair. "Sleep well, my star."

Zeus woke them all at an unforgiving hour Christmas morning. As such, all seven of the Olympians gathered around the largest tree, yawning and in their pajamas as Rhea passed presents around.

"Zeus darling, what did I say about waiting? The eldest goes first, sorry Demeter dearest, go right ahead—Zeus what did I just say?"

From Rhea, Hades got a new set of robes, some sweets and a beautiful obsidian ring she acquired from a trip to Greece to visit some relatives. From Demeter, a plant she grew herself that was supposed to emit a shrill noise whenever danger was around (he wasn't entirely sure what possessed her to give it to him when Hestia got a plant that just smelled sweetly . . . he was pretty sure it said something about him as a person).

But Hestia's gift—Hades lifted Hestia's gift from its perfectly wrapped box to stare. It was a hand knitted scarf, warm and thick and perfect for winter. The two colored pattern struck him the most though and he could only stare, heart hammering in horror, at the yellow and black stripes that mocked him.

"Why is Hades' scarf yellow?" Zeus demanded, his voice piercing and loud as he took notice of the atrocity in his brother's hand.

"Because he's in  _Hufflepuff,_ House of nobodies," Poseidon immediately jumped in, snickering from his corner where his new hat, also handknitted by Hestia, rested atop his head in unassuming blue.

" _Hufflepuff?"_ Zeus repeated in disbelief. "No! Hades is a big, mean grump, he belongs in Slytherin! Hufflepuff is for babies!"

Poseidon snickered as Hades fought to keep his face impassive, willing his pale cheeks not to darken. He let the scarf fall into his lap, unable to tuck the thing quietly away for fear of offending Hestia, who watched him closely. Hades was made of stone. Nothing they could say would ever touch him. He was a statue, a—

"Quiet, both of you!" Rhea reprimanded sharply, reaching out to hit both Poseidon  _and_ Zeus upside their heads. "Quit teasing your brother! Hufflepuff is a perfectly respectable house! It is part of Hogwarts after all, and Hogwarts is one of the best schools in the world. Your brother is a fine, strong wizard. Zeus, apologize for name calling, Poseidon, apologize for being cruel."

Hades watched in disbelief as his brother both muttered apologies, heads downcast.

"It's a lovely scarf, Hestia," Rhea said, back straight and head held proudly. "Put it on, Hades, and Demeter, darling, go ahead and open Hestia's gift to you."

Hades wound the scarf around his neck obediently, staring at his hands.  _Hufflepuff was a perfectly respectable house_? He tried not to wrinkle his nose thinking about it. No, it wasn't. Hufflepuff was for the weak and Olympians were not weak. Hufflepuff was for the bleeding hearts, the too trusting, the downtrodden, all of the things Olympians were not. At least Ravenclaws were renowned for their intelligence, an honorable trait, and Gryffindor their bravery and excellence in DADA. Hufflepuffs were useless.

She couldn't have meant it. She couldn't have.

Kronos would never have accepted it.

Hades wore the scarf for the rest of the day, its fabric burning against his skin, twining about his neck like a noose. The holiday passed quickly and before long, Hades was back aboard the Hogwarts Express, Hestia's scarf tucked away deep inside his trunk.

House of Nobodies. Useless. He belonged in Slytherin. There had to be a mistake. It was just one big mistake. Hades closed his eyes so he didn't have to see the castle come into view.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Did you have a good holiday?"

"Go away, Cassandra."

Hades didn't look up from the salamanders they had moved onto studying in Care of Magical Creatures. Kettleburn gleefully prattled on about the fire dwelling lizard. Hades had the suspicion that their DADA teacher would find one in their personal belongings by the end of the day. Poor creature, it would surely die.

Cassandra ignored his open hostility, dropping down to sit next to him.

"Did you get anything interesting? I bet you did, living with a family like yours."

Hades wasn't sure what that was supposed to be mean, but the implications made his blood boil. It also made him think about the scarf tucked away at the bottom of his trunk and his hands curled into fists.

"I don't see how it's any business of yours."

"Fine, don't tell. Have you said hello to Mosag yet? I bet she misses you. We could go see her after class. I know you have Herbology next, but the forest is just right there and it won't take too long and it would be  _sure_ to make—"

" _We,_ " Hades ground out from behind clenched teeth. "Don't do things together."

"Sure, sure," Cassandra blew off with a wave of her hand. "Whatever you say. I got a wizarding chess board for Christmas, I know you know how to play and I need you to teach me. Not to brag, but I'm pretty good at the Muggle version—"

Her voice grated against his ears, a never-ending chatter that tore at his fraying nerves. He needed her to shut up. "No."

"I am, don't sound so surprised—"

"No, I will not teach you because we're not  _friends_." Hades injected as much venom into his voice as he possibly could and the voice that came from his mouth wasn't his own; it was older, sterner, and belonged to a phantom buried beneath the ashen soil of Azkaban.

"We've been over this Hades, I am  _your_ friend and you will one day be mine. Just stop resisting and try to have fun, you lump."

"You are  _not_ my friend. You're not—" Hades' head swum. "You're not even a Seer, Cassandra, for Merlin's sake! You're an eleven-year-old girl, who is so  _desperate_ to make friends you pretend to be one!"

Cassandra's mouth clamped shut with an audible snap.

"I don't  _want_ to be your friend and nothing you supposedly  _see_ ," his sneer was perfect, curling at the edges with frost and cruelty, "will change that. Stop playing pretend. You can't see the future. You're nothing but a false seer. It's not my fault nobody wants to be your friend."

Cassandra stared at him. She inhaled sharply, once, twice, then a third time and her chest as so full of air, puffed up and shaking, that she looked ready to explode.

"Oh. Oh? Oh. I see." Her voice was shrill, eyes dark as she kept taking in short, sharp breaths. "I see. I was wrong. I was—you—I thought you weren't but I was wrong. You  _are_ just like him, like Kronos Enjoy your loneliness and silence, Olympian, since they suit you so well."

She stood up, still taking those weird short, sharp breaths. She clutched her bag tightly as she spun on her heel. Kettleburn prattled on but Cassandra walked away, her gait strong but uneven as she strode right out of class, towards the castle. Hades' heart hammered in his chest and as her figure disappeared from sight, he couldn't understand why his chest hurt so much. He closed his eyes and tuned out the lesson, wishing the heat from the salamander's fire could burn the emotions from his breasts. Ice settled inside him and he just wanted it to go away.

Ice settled inside him and he just wanted it to go away.

The coldness that settled over him at Cassandra's departure refused to leave, settling right into his bones, weighing him down throughout the rest of his classes. His shoulders slumped as he made his way back to the castle in the evening. Each step felt a colossal effort. When he heard the voices from the hall, he considered taking another path to the dormitory; there wasn't a cell in his body that wanted social interaction of any sort.

"Aw, is the wittle first year scared of the big bad Slytherins?"

"I think he is, aren't you, little badger?"

The taunts were followed by cruel, boisterous laughter and the sound of feet scuffling against the floor. The voices were vaguely familiar, in the way that meant the tormentors were probably purebloods that haunted the Olympian Manor at some point. The voices brought Hades to a standstill.

 _You_ are  _just like him, like Kronos._

"Aw, I think he's going to cry, are you going to  _cry?_ "

"Two against one is a cowardly fight."

Hades didn't remember moving but there he was, in the middle of the corridor staring at the back of two hulking Slytherin figures. They had to be third or fourth years, towering a full head over their victim as they turned around to face Hades.

"Aw, look, Thanatos, another badger's come to play."

Staring at their ugly, misshapen faces, Hades recognized the brutal duo. Thanatos and Hypnos Mors, brutish, pureblood boys. Their father joined his in Azkaban.

"I know this one," Thanatos said with a terrible grin. "Olympian! The lowly, garden snake hiding among basilisks. How sad, this must be  _so_ embarrassing for your poor mother. I can't imagine the horror, a  _Hufflepuff_ for a son."

_Dignity, pride, honor._

Hades squared his shoulders, holding his head high. "Better than cowardly cornering someone half my size. What would your mother think, you're being so cowardly and low?"

Hypnos' lips curled up; Thanatos actually  _hissed_ , like a heathen.

"Watch it, badger, we wouldn't want to put a delicate little flower like yourself in the Hospital Wing, now would we?" Thanatos snarled, drawing his wand.

Hades' hand curled around his own. He remembered Poseidon's cruel laughter, Cassandra's pinched face and felt his own lips curl. "I would like to see you try."

Thanatos raised his wand but Hades was faster.

" _Expelliarmus."_

Thanatos' wand flew through the air and in the same heartbeat, Hades' wand turned to Hypnos. It was childish but he hit the brutish boy with a bat-bogey hex and took secret pleasure in watching the boy shriek.

"You—" Thanatos cried in anger, taking a leap at Hades.

" _Petrificus totalus."_

Hades blinked in mild surprise as the giant oaf fell like a log, hitting the floor with a loud  _thump._ Hades' eyes slowly panned up to meet those of little Rhadamanthus Europan, who had his wand drawn.

"Thanks," he told Hades, tucking his wand away, as though they were talking about the weather, or Hades had passed him an extra piece of parchment during class. "But we should really go."

"We should," Hades agreed and watched Europan step over the fallen boy as his twin wailed in a very unsophisticated manner with a sort of surreal interest.

Together, the boys walked swiftly away from the site, side by side and silent until they were back within the safe bounds of their dormitory. Their roommates were nowhere to be found. Hades stared at Europan, who stared back at him.

"Thanks," Europan finally broke the silence. "I mean, I had it under control but thanks."

Hades' eyebrows rose. "There were two of them and they were both twice your puny size."

"Luckily I am a wizard who thinks with my wand and not my fists," Europan said with a grin, mocking holding up two fists. "But, thanks anyway. Nice bat-bogey hex."

"Your binding curse was impressive."

Europan's grin widened, his little chest puffing out. "Thanks! I've been working on it. It helps to know when you're as small as me."

"At least you accept it," Hades said and couldn't help the quirk of his lips.

"I'll grow into it and by then I will be feared."

"Yes, you're terrifying."

"Whatever, Hades," Europan said with a wave of his hand.

"You're not terrifying, Europan."

" _Whatever Hades."_ Europan paused. "And you can call me Rhadamanthus."

"You're not terrifying, Rhad—Rhadam—Great Merlin that's awful what was your mother thinking?"

Rha-Rhad—whatever laughed and despite his diminutive stature, it filled the whole room. "I have no idea! It's a tradition, you know. You can just call me Rhad."

"Rhad," Hades repeated, unsure how he felt about this. Rhad was a nickname. Nicknames were intimate things, things that people who were close used. Things  _friends_ used.

Rhad clapped him on the shoulder, having to stand on his tiptoes to do it, and began chattering on about their Herbology homework. Hades wanted to withdraw, to say he was busy, he had things to do, thanks but no thanks  _Europan,_ but found he couldn't quite make himself. Cassandra's words echoed in his ears and he found Rhad's light chatter chased away the ice that hung in his chest. Hades closed his mouth and let Rhad talk the night away.

"Hey, Hades?" Rhad asked, sprawled out on his bed with his Herbology essay spread before him.

Hades grunted from his perch on his own bed, sightlessly staring at his potion's book. Or perhaps it was his Charm book.

"We're friends, right?"

Hades froze. His mouth tasted sour.

"I mean, friends help each other out with bullies and do homework together. So, we're friends right?"

_I don't have friends. I'm like my father._

Hades stared at Rhad's face.

He didn't want to be like his father, Hades realized, feeling as though struck by lightning. He didn't want to be like Kronos. He didn't want people to look at him like they looked at Kronos. He didn't want people to look at him like  _he_ looked at Kronos. Cassandra was right.

Hades looked at Rhad. There were worse people to call friend. Rhad was intelligent, knew when to leave Hades alone, and didn't babble so much as vaguely chat.

"Yeah, whatever Rhad," Hades said, clearing his throat and looking down at his essay so he didn't have to see Rhad's answering grin.

"Okay, okay, nice. So, what did you get for the last part about the bulbweed—"

Hades didn't want to be like his father; he wanted to be something different entirely.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Hades woke up the next morning and found Rhad waiting for him. He squashed his immediate reaction, which was to tell Rhad to head down without him, and instead got dressed and walked side by side with the boy to the Great Hall.

"My essay is two inches longer than she asked for, reckon I'll be marked down for that?" Rhad asked as they walked into the hall.

The hall was as loud as always, kids laughing and calling to each other as they ate. Hades' eyes went to the Ravenclaw table and it didn't take his eyes long to fall on his target.

"No," Hades replied. "Go sit down, I'll be there in a minute. I have someone I need to talk to before I eat."

Rhad didn't question him—could do worse indeed—and Hades squared his shoulders, holding his head stiff and high as he strode purposefully towards the Ravenclaw table. He ignored the eyes on him, walking clear passed Patroclus' confused face, until he came up to Cassandra. He knew she knew he was there, her shoulders were back and arms tense. Hades sat next to her.

"You don't look like a Ravenclaw," she muttered darkly without looking up, stabbing her sausage with more force than necessary.

"I am not. I came to apologize. I was wrong."

That got her attention. Her head whipped around so fast he could hear her neck crack. She gaped at him, eyes wide.

"Say that again?"

"You heard me, I don't need to repeat it," Hades said with a scowl.

Cassandra's lips twitch. "No, but I'd like to hear it."

"Do you accept my apology or not?"

"What you said was unnecessarily cruel and you knew it would hurt but you said it anyway."

"I did," Hades agreed. "Because you were right. I was . . ." he could do this, he could say it. He looked at Cassandra's face, at her impassive expression that still couldn't quite hide the hurt lurking in her eyes. "Scared. But that doesn't excuse my behavior. Please accept my apology."

Cassandra hesitated, fingers curling around the napkin held under her hand. "I will accept," Cassandra said slowly, each word carefully rolled around her tongue, "on one condition."

Hades stiffened.

"Admit you like me and that we are friends."

"Your company annoys me less than our peers and I appreciate that you never tell the teachers of my activities. You somehow made flubberworms tolerable."

" _Hades_."

Cassandra's eyes were dark again and he found himself frowning, oddly uncomfortable. Hades took a deep breath. "I like you and we are . . . friends."

A grin broke out across Cassandra's face, wide and blinding. "I knew it, I  _knew_ it." She punched him in the shoulder, rather hard actually. She rapped her fingers upside her head. "I told you I saw it happening."

"Whatever you say, Cassandra."

"Don't be condescending, we're having a moment."

Hades wondered how long the moment had to last and whether or not it would terminate their newfound goodwill if he were to break it. Cassandra paused her bouncing, holding up a finger.

"Oh, and one more condition, if you do anything like that again, I will hex you into oblivion and hate you forever."

"Reasonable," Hades agreed and Cassandra's grin widened.

"Alright tough guy, here comes a professor so you should get back to your own table," she nodded her head towards the sea of yellow to their left.

He nodded and began to stand. He took no more than two steps from the table when she called, "Oh and Hades?" He turned. Her smile was oddly soft around the edges, something Kronos would mock their mother for. "Thanks."

"I am told that's what friends do."

"Damn right. See you in Cares, friend!"

Her last word carried across the hall and from the Gryffindor table, Achilles scowled and narrowed his eyes at Hades. Hades ignored him, keeping his head held high as he made his way to Rhad's side. Rhad, to his credit, didn't as much as bat an eye as Hades sat down.

"So . . . friend—"

"Shut up Rhad."

True to her word Cassandra sat at his side during Cares and Rhad sat on the other. It was uncomfortable, Hades rather felt they both sat too close to him and the sensation was nearly suffocating.

"Hello, I'm Rhad."

"Cassandra, lovely to meet you, how did you rope this poor lump?"

Hades was afraid they were getting along splendidly. It bothered him less than he thought it would.

"You've seen Mosag since you've gotten back haven't you?" Cassandra asked when they were dismissed after an insufferably long lecture. Hades started to stand, itching to be away from the suffocating sensation of being closed in on all sides.

"Who's Mosag?" Rhad frowned, packing his books away after the lesson.

"Hades' pet acromantula."

Rhad dropped all his books, cursing. Hades was rather impressed actually, he didn't think the small boy knew such strong words.

"She is hardly my  _pet_ and I tried to be rid of her, if you recall."

"You didn't try that hard."

"Sweet Merlin, an acromantula," Rhad gasped, staring open-mouthed at them.

"She won't hurt anyone," Hades said with a roll of his eyes as Rhad scooped up his dropped supplies.

"Let's see her after your Herbology course then," Cassandra insisted, undeterred by Rhad's interruption.

"Both of you?" Hades asked frowning. Cassandra threw an arm around his shoulder, her nails digging sharply into his skin.

" _Yes,_  Hades."

He had the odd feeling he was being reprimanded. Cassandra waved them off outside the Herbology greenhouse, wandering away to do Merlin only knows what.

"I like her." Rhad grinned.

"Of course you do."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Mosag was thrilled to see them.

"Hades! You have returned!" she cried before they could even see her. The brush of the forest cracked and rustled before the acromantula burst through. She paused, her forelegs twitched in the air. Smelling the newcomer, Rhad, Hades knew.

"You brought another."

"Yes, this is Rhad he is . . . friendly," Hades muttered, gesturing at the tiny boy.

"Is small."

"Yes he is very small," Hades agreed and he couldn't stop his lips from twitching.

"Merlin, even your acromantula's an asshole," Rhad huffed, crossing his arms.

"You look better," Hades said, ignoring Rhad.

He stepped closer and fell to his knees, holding his hand out expectantly to the acromantula. Mosag didn't hesitate, scrambling deftly over the snow to crawl right up onto his lap. Hades critically inspected her injuries. The burn had all but healed, nothing but a thin scar remained, marring her thorax. Coarse hairs had tried growing over it but Hades doubted the skin would ever fully recover. Her pinchers were bent back into shape, the left one only a little crooked.

"How the leg?" he demanded.

"Perfect."

"Hades didn't tell me you were hurt!" Cassandra exclaimed, falling to her knees beside them. She slapped Hades across the shoulder. "You left her injured in the snow!'

"Hades fixed my leg," Mosag defended, folding her legs under her to settle into Hades' lap. "Is good, is perfect."

"It was just a little broken," Hades muttered.

"How does an acromantula even get to England?" Rhad asked and Hades tensed as a warm hand fell on his shoulder.

Rhad used Hades as a stand to regally situate himself in the snow. Which was quite unnecessary it wasn't like the boy was far from the ground, honestly. He smiled down at Mosag; if he had any trepidation about being so close to an acromantula he hid them well.

"It's a long—"

"I had just hatched from my egg," Mosag began and Hades held in a groan.

Mosag's tragic story waned on as snow began falling, fat little flakes that lazily swung through the afternoon air to stick annoyingly to Hades' hair and eyelashes. His legs had fallen asleep by time Mosag was done. Cassandra was spitting venom and Rhad swearing by the end of it as Hades tried not to roll his eyes. Blasted acromantula, spinning her web of charm. Somehow during the talk Hades hand came to rest on Mosag's back then unconsciously he somehow began gently stroking the blasted creature. Mosag's many eyes closed.

"And that's when Hades heroically rescued her," Cassandra teased, elbowing Hades in the side. Hades grunted.

"It would be unfair to punish the blasted creature because a couple twats decided it would be fun to buy a dangerous creature—"

"I'm sure he didn't mean that," Rhad smoothed down at Mosag.

"No, I did, she is a very dangerous," Hades replied in irritation as he scratched around Mosag's thorax.

"We better get back up the castle for food," Cassandra cut in. "But we'll see you on Friday okay, Mosag?"

Mosag opened her many eyes.

"Wait . . . all three of us?" Hades frowned, moving his hand so the acromantula could scramble off his lap.

"Obviously," Cassandra scoffed, using Hades' shoulder to push herself to her feet.

"So we visit Mosag on Fridays?" Rhad asked.

"I look forward to it," Mosag agreed as Rhad pushed himself to his feet. To Hades, she said, "I am glad Master has good, kind friends."

"Yeah." Hades cleared his throat. "Don't get into trouble, Mosag."

"You either, Master."


	5. Chapter 5

Winter melted into spring before long and the grounds of Hogwarts turned from a frozen wonderland to a swampy mess but even this deterred students not from traversing along the muddy paths outside. Cassandra attached herself to Hades's hip like a parasite. Everywhere he turned she seemingly appeared. It almost made him believe Apparition inside Hogwarts was possible. Rhad flitted along at his other side or behind like a shadow and generally made less of a nuisance about himself, coming and going with a far more visible ease.

"—and so, I said I  _Saw_ that it was going to happen, and of course she didn't believe me, but the mouse  _did_ escape, and it ran right up Amelia William's legs. Merlin, she screamed like someone was murdering her—"

Hades had even gotten used to Cassandra's nonsensical claim of being a Seer. Cassandra zoned out during breakfast? It was going to rain. Break off midsentence during Cares? Their salamander was going to escape. Hades still wasn't convinced she  _was_ a Seer or even that Seers as a concept existed, but he had to applaud her aptly timed theatrics.

"McGonagall will never believe that you are a Seer. She doesn't believe in the Eye."

"Neither do you but you always think I'm right."

"I don't know if I'd call that a premonition," Hades replied dryly. 

"Whatever Olympian, Rhad?"

"I think we're going to be late to dinner and that screaming because a mouse ran up your leg is a ridiculous overreaction on Amelia's part. She was transfiguring one after all, the likelihood that one would escape from a careless student is rather high. It's hardly as if Mosag was loose in the room."

"Always the diplomatic," Cassandra snorted.

"One of us has to be," Rhad evenly replied, hands clasped behind his back. "And it certainly won't be one of you."

"Entirely accurate," Cassandra agreed with a wide grin. She slapped Hades upside the shoulder and he frowned disapprovingly at her. "See you losers tomorrow, I have to dash after dinner to finish my Potion's essay."

"Why don't I believe that?" Hades rolled his eyes.

Cassandra just winked as she walked away, waving genially over her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it chap," Rhad advised. "It's for the best. Come on, I am famished."

"For as small as you are, I can hardly believe the quantity food you put away."

"I'm  _growing_  Hades,  _growing."_

Hades hummed but let it pass. Dinner was a quiet affair. The buzz that perforated the Great Hall didn't waver as the boys entered and Rhad lead the way to their usual place at the Hufflepuff table. They got fewer strange looks every day; indeed, the house seemed to at least tolerate the oddity that was Hades Olympian at this point and Rhad's place at his side warranted little more than a batted eyelash. Their roommates were the only ones who occasionally frowned their way. While the rest of the house seemed content and indeed almost disgustingly  _happy_ with their newfound friendship, their roommates visibly took issue.

"Ignore them," Rhad said bracingly as he took his seat.

"I do," Hades snorted, rolling his eyes as they both gracefully took their seats. "I just don't like being stared at."

"I know." Rhad dragged a bowl of bread toward him. "They simply do not understand how—"

"—you could be friends with something as unsocial and taciturn as myself?"

"I was going to be tactful and say someone as dark and mysterious as yourself, but yes."

Hades couldn't stop his lips from twitching. Rhad's eyes twinkled with mischievousness in reply. It was pleasant and quiet in a way that didn't bother Hades as much as he thought it should. Hades stole the bread roll out of the smaller boy's hand and took a giant bite out of it.

"Hey!"

Hades said nothing but rose a single eyebrow. Rhad's eyes narrowed. Quick as lightning, he snatched Hades's pumpkin juice and drained it dry, setting the cup down with a  _bang_ , his chin held high. Hades couldn't help snorting at the childishness of it all and Rhad grinned widely at the uncharacteristic slip. Dinner progressed normally after their playful spat. Rhad chatted idly about their Charms essay and the upcoming exams trailing off into silence as time wore on. After they finished, the pair rose together, Hades waiting with a smirk as Rhad knocked his knobby knees against the underside of the table when he tried to swing both legs out at the same time.

Their roommates were either still at dinner or lounging about in the common room since their dormitory was empty. They didn't complain. Rhad dug out his quill and ink before stationing himself at the helm of Hades's bed. Hades, who was digging out his own homework, paused with a frown.

"Your bed is perfectly functional."

"Shut up Hades and pass me some parchment. You need to start your own essay it's due—"

"Tuesday, yes Mother I am aware."

Rhad threw a quill at him. Hades ignored the advice and pulled out his Potions instead. Slughorn was far more interesting anyway. Care of Magical Creatures may be his best class, but Potions was by far the most interesting, far to the chagrin of their roommates. He propped the book on his knees, reading their next chapter while Rhad went to work on his essay. The gentle scrape of Rhad's eagle-tipped quill and the ruffle of paper filled the little dormitory. Hades leaned his head against the headboard, fingers sprawled over the history of the vanishing potion. The warmth of the burrow curled around him but when Hades closed his eyes, it didn't feel so overwhelming, so ready to suffocate him.

 _Focus,_ he reminded himself and forced his eyes back open. He couldn't fail any class, much less  _Potions_. What on earth would Rhea think? He refocused his eyes on the vanishing potion.

_At this time in the 12th century, the translucent properties of mandrake root had yet to be discovered so early witches and wizards used powdered doxy wings instead. The process of powdering the wings to produce the desired consistency needed to produce translucence took three days and is generally attributed to the frequent fainting spells many young witches fell victim to—_

Hades snorted, imagining how Cassandra's nose would curl at the passage. He lifted his head, gripping the book in anticipation of flipping it around for Rhad's reading pleasure when he found the boy in question fast asleep. Rhad's head lobbed forward on his chest, his quill laying forgotten across his half-finished Charms essay.

"You better not snore on me," Hades warned softly.

No snoring ensued. Hades studied the tiny boy, contemplating how he should go about waking the slumbering wizard. While it would be amusing to give Rhad a little nudge to send him toppling off the bed as he would his brothers, the box boogey curse Rhad laid on the Slytherins gave Hades pause. Was the moment of humor worth a possible trip to the Hospital Wing?

His quiet contemplation was interrupted by a tingling sensation across the back of his hand. Hades gave it a shake, eyes flickering down on instinct—only to freeze. A spider, large as a Knut and hairy as a Slytherin fifth year, crawled across his knuckles and lollygagging around his thumb was a friend, less hairy but with twice the leg length, and good Merlin a gaggle of them marched up his pillow. A lesser man would have screamed but Hades was an  _Olympian._ Mosag had also desensitized him. At least that's what he told himself as his spine locked into place, eyebrows all but skyrocketing off his face.

 _Deep breath,_ he calmed himself and gave his hand a firm shake. The hairy Knut-sized one toppled onto the bed, legs kicking in the air. It was . . . it should have been horrifying. Instead of being revolted, Hades felt a tug somewhere between his ribs and he reached out, using his forefinger to flip the struggling creature over. Once righted, the hairy one wobbled a little but regained itself, marching off to the long-legged spider. Together they marched on and, to Hades's ever-increasing confusion, met the ones marching along his pillow. Like ants in a row, they followed each other one by one as they began descending off his bed. Hades craned his neck to watch their procession. His confusion grew as they joined up with a legion on the floor, all creeping along one by one to the wall, then up the wall, to the round window between his and Rhad's bed.

Hades stared. Then blinked. Looked to Rhad, who was still fast asleep at the foot of the bed.

Hades got to his feet. Careful not to step on any of his uninvited guests, Hades walked to the window and looked out. The parade continued, spiders of all shapes and sizes marching unnaturally off into the grass.

Hm.

Hades peered over his shoulder at Rhad.

"If this is you Mosag, we need to work on refining your messaging skills," Hades grumbled to himself, pulling on his cloak.

Securing his shoes, Hades swept out of the room. The common room was all but empty, an upper year or two lounging around Helga's portrait but none paid him any mind as he silently passed them by. Hades pulled the hood over his head as he crept along the deserted corridors. It was late; he must have dozed with Rhad for a while. Finding a way out was easy enough; he always had been good at going unseen. Finding the trial of spiders again proved more difficult.

" _Lumos."_

The light provided little help, but Hades held his wand close to the ground as he crept along. He didn't imagine Mosag would leave the forest, so he headed that direction, checking the ground as he went. He found a few ants, a wild grasshopper that gave him a pause. He didn't catch the crazy arachnids until he was a stone's throw from the forest's edge. A twitching movement ruffled the grass beneath his feet. Hades swiveled his wand its way, expecting to find more ants, only to reveal the fat hairy body of a spider.

"Hm," he huffed. The little procession paid him no mind, marching on.

"Lead on then," Hades grumbled, tucking his cloak tighter about him.

And so, they did. Hades kept pace with the steady line of arachnids, wand held aloof. His stomach clenched the closer they drew to the forest, a frown deepening on his pale face.

"Mosag?" he called and if his voice wavered there was no one around to tell. His heart thrummed loudly in his veins. "Mosag? Mosag—"

Had something happened to her? Had her wounds opened back up? What if—

"Master!"

Hades's eyes snapped down. He was on his knees before his brain could process the word, reaching his free hand out on some buried instinct. Mosag crawled right into it. Hades eyes automatically bounced around her body, cataloging every bump and blemish.

"Where are you injured at?" he demanded, starting to set his wand down because he couldn't see any damage where was she injured—

Mosag's mouthparts clicked. "Mosag is fine, follow me Master, follow me."

"What do you mean you're fine?" Hades demanded, scowling now as the eight-legged menace scrambled off his lap.

"Mosag."

She didn't stop, her eight legs working fast as she disappeared into the forest. "Come Master, come quickly!"

"If you're not injured then why am I here?" he demanded again. He thought about staying there sitting in the dirt for the stubborn principle. How dare she, he was sleeping and went through all that work only to find out she was  _fine_ , honestly, who did she—

"Master! Quickly!"

"I'm not your master," he reminded her, voice barely audible as he pushed himself to his feet.

Sitting in the dirt was hardly dignified, no matter the principle. Hades brushed off his pants, lips pressed tightly together.

"Master!"

"You eight-legged menace," Hades accused as he took three strides forward into the underbrush of the forest.

"You realize as a student I am not allowed in the forest yes?"

"You also aren't allowed to have me. Now less talking, more moving!"

"My first mistake, obviously," Hades muttered under his breath, reaching out to push low lying branches out of his way as he followed the irksome arachnid.

" _Nox_ ," Hades resigned himself to the unwanted escapade, wisely tucking his wand away in the safety of his cloak as he listened to the sound of Mosag's quick legs and occasional "quick Master!"

She didn't lead him far into the forest, scurrying along ahead for maybe five minutes before abruptly stopping.

"There, there!" she hissed, darting back and forth before his toes. "Needs help, doesn't belong here."

"What?" Hades asked, bringing his wand back out.

"No bright light, just look Master, under that fallen log."

"If you think I'm going to approach something in this forest without my wand, you're the craziest creature in this whole damn—" Hades grumbled as he crept forward, wand held securely in hand.

Uncomfortably, Mosag hung behind as he took the few steps forward to the fallen log. The darkness of the forest pressed around him, buzzing with dark magic and malevolence. Hades brushed it off. It tasted strongly of the dark magic that surrounded his father. Only now, Hades had a wand at his side. He wasn't the helpless toddler that could be pushed around. Anything that dared attack him would regret it. With this in mind, Hades reached forward and lifted the log a centimeter off the ground.

The whatever below gave a pathetic groan, a high-pitched sound that seemed to echo around the forest. Hades took a deep breath, wand at the ready, and fell into a crouch on the forest floor. Under the log, half buried in the mud, six pairs of eyes blinked up at him. Hades blinked back.

The creature  _whined,_ and the sound wasn't echoing it was just coming from  _three distinct heads_.

"Merlin."

"Needs help," Mosag repeated and the three-headed dog stared helplessly up at the young wizard. Not just a dog but a youngling, a  _puppy_ with six large eyes and youthful faces.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake." Hades closed his eyes.  _Why me?_

"Master, it needs help."

"Yes, I can see that," Hades snapped. "What  _is_ it, Mosag?'

Mosag fell silent. "A creature in need of help. Master helps creatures."

"I most certainly do  _not_."

"Master saved me."

"I merely—"

"Will you leave it to die?"

Hades fell silent. At the exact moment, the  _three-headed dog_  gave another three-toned whine. The nearest head wiggled, trying to reach out and lick Hades's knee.

 _Stay strong_ , Hades reminded himself, his face the perfect stone image of his father's. Mosag crept closer. The dog gave a pitiful whine, able to sense the dangerous predator. Mosag was only as big as one of its paws, but trapped as it was, the creature was a sitting duck for the powerful venom of the acromantula.

"Stay back," Hades told the acromantula, coming to his feet. Mosag scurried backwards as Hades pocketed his wand.

The log had fallen over the back of the dog and as Hades walked around the trapped creature, he noticed one of its legs lay funny. Broken. It wouldn't be as easy to fix as Mosag's had been. With a nod to himself, Hades crouched back down.

"Easy there," he instructed as the creature whined, all three heads rolling around to try and lick him. "There, there. Hold still. I'm going to move the log, but I need you stay still."

The pup whined and in the fragmented light of the moon, it looked young and frightened. Hades hesitated then reached out and put his hand on the middle head's neck.

"I'll get you out."

The right and left heads licked his hand. Hades wrinkled his nose but obligingly scratched behind the nearest ear and the puppy stared at him with six adoring eyes.

"You're filthy and covered in blood," Hades told it. "Not cute. Stay still now."

He stood back up. Mosag's many eyes watched as he began extracting the pup. The downed log was as big as Hades himself, probably once the large limb whose life was cut short by a spring storm. Hades knew he couldn't  _wingardium leviosa_  his way out of this one. Logs weren't exactly feathers. He might have risked it if it weren't for the whimpering pup at his feet. If he dropped the log back on it . . . well, Hades wasn't going to do that.

He gathered up fallen debris from around the trapped creature, painstakingly wedging them under the felled log.

"Mosag, be my eyes," he instructed as he went to work. Perhaps it was foolish to place his wellbeing in the hands, or legs, of the acromantula but Hades felt no danger in turning his back to the dangers of the forest to focus on his task.

Mosag would call out "quiet" every so often and Hades would stop what he was doing, wand at the draw. They would listen, Hades might creep out in search of the source of Mosag's discomfort, before returning to work. Despite a few raised alarms, nothing bothered them. The beginning blush of dawn licked up the horizon when Hades finally laid on his back on the hard forest floor. He packed enough debris under the log to lift it a good half a meter off the pup, who remained perfectly still.

"Okay," Hades took a deep breath, one hand clutching his wand the other held out towards the pup. He absentmindedly scratched the nearest head's ear. "I'm going to try and levitate the log and once I have it high enough I'll drag you out," he paused. "It's going to hurt."

He stared seriously at the creature, then shook his head. _It's an animal it can't understand you,_  he cursed himself. Although it did have three heads . . . it probably was a magical animal, maybe it  _could_  understand him.

"Here we go," Hades said before he could second-guess himself anymore. " _Wingardium leviosa_."

The log rocked back and forth before, slowly, it began to rise from the pedestal of debris Hades piled underneath it. It rose a centimeter then one more under the strained guidance of the first year. Hades clenched his jaw, his free hand on the puppy's first head. When the log was high enough he let go of the puppy's head, rolling on his side, eyes fixed on the levitating log, to wrap his free arm around the puppy's midsection. To his credit, the puppy did little more than whimper softly as Hades hauled him closer. His arm shook, his breath coming in gasps and the spell broke. On instinct, Hades curled closer to the dog, momentarily forgetting the buffer he built to shield the dog. The debris did its job and stopped the log from falling on top of them, though the sound caused the pup to yap in fear.

"I got you," Hades coughed, hacking up dirt the fall stirred up. The pup trembled in the circle of his arm. Hades found his hand carding through its dirty mangled fur.

"Master!"

"We're okay Mosag," Hades assured her. "Just . . . a little tired."

He didn't remember the spell being such a big deal in class.  _Feather to log,_  he reminded himself as he detached from the frightened pup. Hades closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. Focus. Calm. He had this. He was an Olympian after all. When his eyes opened again all three heads were watching him.

"One more time."

Hades turned. " _Wingardium leviosa_."

The log elevated over them once more. Setting his jaw, Hades wrapped his arm firmly around the pup and  _pulled_. Clasping it close to his chest, Hades rolled out from under the log. One arm wrapped around his head the other holding the creature close Hades held his breath as the log crashed back down to earth...next to them.

Hades breathed a sigh of relief, which was all the respite he got before Mosag was on them.

"Master alright?"

"I'm fine Mosag." Hades cleared his throat, ignoring the sting in his shoulder from where it collided with the ground in his desperate roll. His whole body felt shaky, like he had gone a long while without food and his muscles protested the lack of nourishment. He laid where he was for a moment. One of the heads started licking his neck, their tongue warm and rough. Mosag scrambled into sight, clicking anxiously.

"I'm okay," he repeated. Mosag didn't look particularly convinced. Hades supposed his supine position didn't support his words, so he forced himself into an upright position.

"And the creature?" Mosag asked blinking her many eyes at the pup. Hades followed her face and stared at the pitiful lifeforms.

Despite its three heads, it looked like a normal dog. He didn't know anything about dog breeds, but it was black, brown splashed around all three chins and paws. It's back left leg was undoubtedly broken, and Hades gently reached out to resituate the creature, so it was in less pain. Other than the leg, it had a few scratches and cuts but otherwise seemed okay. Maybe a little too skinny. Hades wasn't sure; he'd never had a dog before.

"Where did it come from?"

"South."

That was . . . incredibly unhelpful. Hades stared at the creature which stared back up at him with wide brown eyes. Hades knew there were wizards who experimented new potions and spells on animals. He had heard some of Rhea's less conventional friends whisper about the travesty of it all and proposing new laws to prevent such things. Then again, anomalies did happen in magical households. Perhaps his mother accidentally ingested a bone regrowth potion during her gestation. Hades decided it didn't matter.

"Come Mosag."

Careful not to jostle the creature's leg too much, Hades scooped the pup up in his arms. Two heads settled, one on top of the other, on his shoulder. The third nuzzled against his breast, a cold snout pressing against the steady beat of his heart. The walk back was silent. At the edge of the forest, Hades got to his knees, gently setting the creature down. All three heads whined, snapping at each other to try and be the one to rest on his lap. Hades absently petted each head, waiting for Mosag. She appeared a moment later.

"Why," Hades paused then decided delicacy was never his strong suit and he needn't bother cultivating it now. "Why didn't you eat him?"

His question gave Mosag a pause. She said nothing as she scrambled along the floor. She nudged his side until he reached a hand out. Deftly, she scrambled up his arm to rest on his shoulder. Hades turned his chin to look at her. She was getting bigger, he realized. Soon she would be too big to fit up there. He rubbed his chest to try and rid of the strange pang that appeared at the thought.

"Not very tasty looking," she said. Hades gave her a look. She tucked all her legs under her.

"Too sad," she admitted finally. "Remember what it's like to be trapped and scared." Her many eyes blinked. "Besides, Master likes saving things."

Hades made a noise of protest, screwing his nose up. "Absolutely not."

If acromantulas could roll their eyes, Mosag did. "What now?" she asks instead

"I need to fix its leg."

"His."

"Alright, I need to fix his leg and the spell I used on you won't work, his bones are more complex."

"Cerebus."

Hades's eyebrows voiced his confusion.

"Cerebus. Is good name."

"Okay fine," Hades allowed. He paused. "I need help. Here watch Cerebus."

Mosag scrambled down his arm. Cerebus seemed less afraid of her now. His tail gave a single thump.

"I'll be back," Hades promised and set off for the castle.

Finding the Ravenclaw dormitory was easy enough. It wasn't until Hades reached the eagle statue that he realized he had no idea what to do next. Hades stared at the statue. It was a beautiful eagle, stone and sculpted immaculately. You could see every individual feather, detailed to perfection. Hades leaned in, begrudgingly impressed.

"Who was the first witch to win the first order of Merlin?"

Hades froze. Did . . . did the statue speak? Hades pulled back. Sure enough, the stone beak opened and asked its question again:

"Who was the first witch to win the first order of Merlin."

"Figures," Hades grumbled. Well, it was marginally more practical then tapping a barrel. "I don't know, I just need to contact a friend."

"Who was the first witch—"

"I don't know," Hades repeated, teeth clenched, "I need to speak with Cassandra—"

"Who was the first—"

Hades threw his hands into the air. "I need to speak with—"

"Who was—"

Hades wonder what the punishment would be for defacing a dormitory entrance. He paced restlessly in front of the statue, teeth clenched. The portraits along the wall stared at him out of the corner of their eyes, occasionally tutting. A female dressed in Ravenclaw blue that hung close to the statue held a fan up to her face, loudly  _hmph_ _ing_  every time Hades passed her frame. He didn't care.

"I don't suppose  _you_ know the first witch to win it," he snarled after a particularly loud  _hmph._

This apparently offended the lady to her core, more than his incessant pacing and black expression, for she gathered her skirts about her and, with a final  _hmph_ , stalked from her frame. He watched her stomp through the nearby portraits, the other painted figures all stepping aside, until she was out of sight.

"And the rest of you?"

The paintings kept to themselves and Hades whirled back on the statue, teeth clenched. He decided to just try and throw out every witch's name he knew:

"Rhea, Helga, Cassandra, Hestia, Demeter, what was the Ravenclaw founder's name?"

 _"Rowena!"_ A scandalized portrait shrieked.

"That one, Amelia, Minerva, Luna, Ginevra, Bellatrix, Romilda, Angelina, Pomona, Pansy, I can go on, there are plenty of witches in the world!"

The statue didn't budge.

"This is an emergency, I  _will_ speak to Cassandra!" Hades announced, stomping his foot.

"Lavender, Katie, Helena, Padma, Pavarti, Lily, Cho, Myrtle, I  _will hex you into pebbles—"_

"Hades Olympian, what in the world _—_?"

The wall behind the statue was turning, peeling away to reveal a winding staircase, from which Cassandra descended. She wore a scowl, rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her robe which hung off her shoulders. Her hair was thrown up in some hazardous up-do and the fire in her eyes may have killed him dead if he weren't so enraged himself.

"About time," his lips barely moved from outrage. "And you call yourself a Seer, I've been calling for you since dawn, come on now."

"What is the meaning of this Olympian?" Last name, she must be angry, but she let him pull her down the hall. "Genevieve all but threw me out of bed this morning, hollering about the lunatic Hufflepuff scaring the first years."

"They should have let me in or at least grabbed you for me, inept the lot of them."

"Hades." He supposed that was meant to be a reprimand. She sounded too amused.

"I'll hex your hair pink if this isn't important," she threatened vaguely as he dragged her along. They got a couple odd glances, which they both ignored. People weren't used to Hades moving so fast, nor him dragging a half-asleep Ravenclaw behind him, he supposed.

"Mosag woke me."

"Is she okay?"

Cassandra's attitude flipped in an instant, her pace even with his as her eyes searched his face.

"She's fine. Just—come on."

She said nothing more but kept pace as Hades ushered her out of the castle and down the hill towards the forest to where Mosag was waiting. The acromantula stood watch on Cerebus' back, all three heads curled into the center of the pup's body.

"Master," Mosag began.

"What on—?" Cassandra started to ask, staring at the pup's back, when Cerebus, roused by the noise, lifted all three heads.

"Sweet Merlin." Cassandra grabbed the sleeve of Hades's cloak. "Hades, what  _is_ that?"

Hades hesitated, staring at the wounded animal. Cerebus' tail gave one thump and Hades was on his knees before he gave it any thought, reaching out to lay a hand on the middle head.

"Cerebus," was all he could think to say. Behind him, Cassandra lets out a colorful curse that would have Rhea washing her mouth out with soap.

"Oh great, you've named it."

"Mosag named him," Hades defended as Cassandra knelt in the dirt. Cerebus whined, the sound pitiful and low in the back of his many throats as he tried to nuzzle closer to Hades.

"Stay still," he reminded Cerebus, his voice firm. "Cassandra—he's hurt."

She sighed heavily but, obliging, leaned over to take a look. "He's malnourished," the witch said, her eyes going slightly glossy as she reached out to pet the middle head. "His back-left leg is broken in three places."

The leftmost head whined, burrowing its snout into Hades's stomach. Hades scratched behind its ear and Cerebus' tail gave a thump.

"He needs food and a binding on that leg," Cassandra announced all business-like. "I'm sure we can find something in our potions book about healing bones and if not, you can always steal one of the higher year's books."

"Cassandra," Hades scolded.

"Don't look at me like that, like it's below you. Okay, you go get food and I'll wrap the paw. We'll also have to find a nice, warm place for him to stay. I don't reckon the professors will be too happy if they find out we're harboring a three-headed dog."

Hades couldn't care less what Hogwarts thought. "Okay. Be gentle."

Cassandra gave him a  _look._

"He's fragile," Hades defended, his words a grumble as he gently lifted Cerebus' head from his lap. All three heads whined in protest, six pitiful eyes staring mournfully up at him.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to get some food," he promised. "Cassandra and Mosag will keep their eyes on you until I get back."

"All of them," Mosag promised and Hades's lips quirked a little despite his better judgment.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

"Rhad, wake up."

The little Hufflepuff toppled off the bed at Hades's abrupt entrance. He sprawled ungracefully on the floor, his essay flying into the air and quill lost somewhere in the folds of Hades's bed. Hades picked up the overturned inkbottle before it could spread too much damage and stared, unimpressed, at the disorientated boy.

"Hades?" Rhad stared at him in confusion, blinking sleep from his eyes. He looked at the bedpost his ankle was still caught on. "Did I fall asleep on you?"

"Yes." Hades waved the concern away; their little homework session from last night felt a lifetime ago. Hades had better things to think about. "Come on, I need you to get me into the kitchens."

Rhad didn't so much as bat an eye. "Alright, let me get dressed."

Hades allowed this and five minutes later Rhad lead the way out of the dormitory.

"The key is the tickle the pear until it giggles."

"I beg your pardon."

Hades had never heard such a ridiculous statement in his life and Rhad, usually the more sophisticated of the two shadows that followed Hades around, merely rose an eyebrow.

"The pear," he repeated as they came upon a large painting just outside the Hufflepuff common room, maybe half a dozen steps from the relatively ineffective barrels that served as the Hufflepuff stronghold.

Rhad was unfazed by his incredibility and merely walked up to the painting, which as they got closer Hades could see was a beautiful oil rendition of a rather mundane bowl of fruit. Ignoring Hades's glower, Rhad stood on his tiptoes so he could reach up and . . . tickle the pear in the middle of the painting. A realization began forming in Hades's mind, the horror confirmed a moment later when the pear squirmed and giggled until it morphed into a green knob.

"Deplorable," Hades declared, frozen in a state of disbelief.

"Fun," Rhad corrected. "Come on, I have a feeling the house-elves will love you."

Hades wasn't sure about that, although detaching themselves from the mother-hen-like creatures proved difficult. When they finally departed, fine cuts of meat stowed away in Rhad's bag and wrapped up tight, breakfast was nearly over.

"Tell me why we're skipping breakfast?" Rhad requested as Hades set a brisk pace across the grounds for the third time that morning.

Hades didn't answer and Rhad asked no more questions as they made their way out to the forest. Cassandra's head perked up at their approach. Hades's brisk pace keep him in front of Rhad and when he stooped down to check on Cerebus, Rhad got his first look at the situation. Rhad came to a full stop where he stood, staring at Cassandra, who has Cerebus half on her lap and was running her fingers over the middle head's snout.

"Hades," Rhad's voice was even, "what, exactly, is that?"

"Rhad meet . . . Cerebus."

Rhad stared. "Hades, it has three heads."

"Yes, very observant of you."

"Hades, _it has three heads._ "

"And it's malnourished Rhad, it needs food so if you don't mind."

Hades held his hand out expectantly for their smuggled bag of food and Rhad handed it over. Mosag peeked her head out.

"Took Master long," the acromantula grumbled. "Cerebus needs food. Morning little human."

"Rhad," Rhad automatically corrected. "Hades, I don't suppose there is another dangerous illegal creature you'd like to adopt and save me the future heart attack by telling me now?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Hades grumbled as he squatted next to Cassandra, petting Cerebus' nearest head before starting to take out food. Mosag took advantage of his position to scramble onto Hades's lap, curling up under his knees. Unconsciously, Hades swept a hand over her back before holding food out to Cerebus' nearest mouth.

"Here toss me a piece," Cassandra instructed and Hades obliged.

"Am I the only one concerned about the three-headed dog?" Rhad demanded, still rooted to the ground a few meters away.

"No," Cassandra said impatiently, "but it's here, it needs help and Hades is already in love so sit down and help."

"I am not—" Hades objected with a frown as Cerebus excitedly wolfed down the cut of meat the young wizard held out.

"Uh huh," Cassandra rolled her eyes as Rhad gingerly crouched down, his nose up turning a little at the mud and muck. "Stop being such a pureblood Rhad and sit down!"

"It's not the pureblood in me that objected but the sanitarian," came Rhad's stiff reply.

"I am not—" Hades tried again but nobody was listening to him

"We'll have to build it a home of sorts, it's too young to be left on its own," Rhad purposed with a sign, reaching out to gently stroke Cerebus' back. Cerebus' tail wagged ecstatically under all the attention. "Especially with that leg."

"That's a good idea, but where?"

"There's a nice spot behind the groundskeeper's hut we can keep him, it's dark and cool and no one goes back there—"

"And Mosag can help keep an eye on him while we're busy—"

Mosag clicked from under Hades. Hades looked down at her, exasperated.

"Will work."

Hades's face smoothed out yet the irksome acromantula still seemed to discern disbelief from his stone-like face because she rubbed against him.

"Will work. All of us together. Make it work."

"We'll need medicine—"

"And food—"

"I can totally steal—I mean borrow—stuff from the Hospital Wing—"

"Are you sure you're a Ravenclaw?"

Hades watched his friends banter back and forth. He rubbed Mosag on the back, ignoring the smugness she radiated. Hm. Perhaps they could make it work.


	6. Chapter 6

Rhad sat nestled against the twisted roots of the forest, three books sprawled and precariously balanced on his knees. Hades, with Cerberus curled up with all three heads on one thigh and Mosag tucked under the other, had a herbology textbook before him but his eyes gazed sightlessly at it, idly scratching Cerberus behind one ear. Cassandra didn't bother with the pretense; she laid on her back, sticks burrowing in her hair, her eyes closed.

"Exams are tomorrow, if I don't know it now, I won't ever," she huffed when Rhad pointed it out. Hades conceded she had a point even as he dragged his books along.

The summer's heat pressed sleepily around them, reminding Hades of the dormitory. His eyes began to close of their own accord, lulled by the steady breathing of the pup and the steady turning of the pages in Rhad's books.

"What are we going to do with them?"

Hades grunted at Cassandra's unexpected question. He shifted but didn't open his eyes. If she wanted an answer she would have to be more specific. Sure enough, when the silence stretched on long enough, he felt something whack against his foot.

"Hades."

"What?" Hades snapped, annoyed, but still not opening his eyes.

"What are we going to do with them?"

"With who?" Hades demanded, pulling his feet out of reach of the irksome witch. Cerberus grumbled a little, all three of his heads colliding against Hades's ribs at the sudden movement.

"Them!" Now Cassandra sounded annoyed. "Cerberus and Mosag."

Hades finally cracked an eye open. "What about them?"

"What are we going to do with them over the summer, stupid?"

Hades frowned. The thought had occurred to him now and again since they found Cerberus, but the concerns were chased away by fears of the end of year exams.

"Mosag will be fine for the summer—"

"She'll be lonely Hades and miss you."

Hades frowned and beneath him the acromantula in question squirmed a little.

"And Cerberus's leg is healing but he can't be on his own! He's a puppy!"

Hades hated that word, puppy. Cerberus himself whined, two heads twisted up to messily kiss any area of exposed skin they could. Hades attempted to bat the excited heads away but that only gave them more appendages to lick so he gave up.

"I mean we could probably mail Mosag to you, if we want to risk getting caught mailing an illegal dangerous creature," Cassandra said doubtfully, twisting so she laid on her side, knees bend and one arm coming up to pillow her head. "But Cerberus is too big."

Sensing Hades's displeasure, Cerberus gave a low whine. Hades scratched behind one of his ears.

"I was thinking about putting Mosag in my bag," he admitted. "But Cerberus is still too big. Mosag can fit in your trunk fine and we can bring her out on the train, but our spellwork isn't good enough to make our bags hold Cerberus."

There was a pause, then Cassandra said, "We could ask the groundskeeper to keep an eye on them."

"Absolutely not," Hades objected with a disapproving frown. Cassandra frowned back, making a childish face.

"Have I seen the groundskeeper?" Rhad wondered aloud, finally looking up from his book. "What's his name again?"

"Hagrid."

"And he was expelled from school for endangering students," Hades pointed out crossly. "So no, we're not giving him access to an acromantula and a three-headed dog and that's final Cassandra. Mosag I can smuggle away with me. But Cerberus is harder—"

"I got it!" Cassandra shot to her feet, her eyes distant and unseeing. "I have Seen it."

"You know where to find us!" Rhad called cheerfully after her retreating back. To Hades, he asked, "What do you reckon that was all about?"

"With Cassandra, it's impossible to say," Hades grumbled, returning his attention to the dog sprawled over his lap.

Cassandra would enlighten them soon enough and if she didn't, well, he certainly wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of begging the question of her strange revelations. Rhad was either in agreement or too well-bred to question further; he returned to his studies.

They stayed at the foot of the forest until the sun began to set and Rhad complained that the lighting was too poor to study anymore ("You are a wizard, Rhad, just use  _l_ _umos_." "It hurts my eyes.") and that he grew hungry so they bid the creatures goodbye.

"What will we do for this summer?" Mosag clicked as she followed them a distance on the path towards the castle.

"I do not know," Hades admitted. "But we will think of something. Take care of Cerberus."

Mosag clicked her giant mouthpiece, slowing down so the wizards could continue on their way without her. Hades didn't look back but Rhad did, somehow managing not to drop the small library he carted around.

"She always looks so sad when we leave," Rhad sighed.

Hades grunted. "She's an acromantula."

"Yes, but still."'

As they approached the entrance of the castle, Hades's eyes were drawn to the shadows lurking near the stairs, their hulking figures vaguely familiar. Hades's hand automatically went to the wand stashed in his pocket and the other, just as automatically, came to rest between Rhad's shoulder blades. Haded hadn't even noticed the touch until Rhad turned, eyebrows raised in surprise. Hades blinked down at him. Before he had a chance to explain himself or remove the offensive display of affection, one of the lurking shadows stepped forward and knocked the small library out of Rhad's arms.

"Hey!" Rhad objected, jumping back so the corner of his potions book didn't nail him in the foot.

Hades whirled on the twinned shadows, recognizing their twisted sneers: Thanatos and Hypnos.

"Whoops," Thanatos sneered as Rhad's books tumbled and came to twisted stops in the grass, their spines bend unnaturally.

"Better watch where you're going next time, half-pint," Hypnos snarled.

Hades's wand pointed steadfastly at the pair. "Or perhaps you should watch where you're going," Hades suggested coldly. "We wouldn't want a replay of what happened last time, now would we?"

The pair sneered at him but neither moved. Hades almost smirked; they remembered.

"What were you doing lurking around the Forbidden Forest?" Hypnos demanded, his lips curling unpleasantly. He hadn't reached for his wand, eyes fixed on the one held in Hades's hand.

"Yeah, isn't it a little suspicious, the son of Kronos Olympian sneaking off into the dark forest?" Thanatos jerked his head towards the castle. "What would people think if they found out?"

"Odd," Hades's lips peeled back, "I thought you said that I was a badger among basilisks? Just an ickle Hufflepuff. There's nothing to fear from a first-year Hufflepuff, now is there?"

Hypnos ground his teeth together as Hades smiled thinly at him.

"You better watch out, Olympian," Thanatos snarled. "We're onto you. I don't know how you tricked the hat into putting you in Hufflepuff—"

"Hm. I seem to recall you accepting it with gusto a few months ago."

Thanatos's hand reached for his wand but all Hades had to do was lazily raise his and the Slytherin stopped cold, eye twitching.

"Go ahead, try it," Hades encouraged lightly as he saw the fire in Thanatos's eyes. "It would do wonders for morale if an ickle first year Hufflepuff put the Slytherin twins in the Hospital Wing."

" _Hades_." Rhad's warning was barely audible.

"Pick up your books, Rhad," Hades instructed, keeping his wand steadily pointed at the green and black-clad pair.

Rhad didn't need to be told twice. When he had scooped up the lost tome up, he straightened and, without being prompted, headed for the entrance.

"If you bother him again," Hades threatened idly, letting his words hang in the air.

"You'll regret this, Olympian," Hypnos muttered, breathing heavily.

Checking to make sure Rhad had made it inside the school, Hades leaned forward, invading the Slytherins's personal space. They held their ground, but he could see Thanatos's jaw clench, Hypnos's hand going to his pocket. Watching for a wand, Hades smiled. It was a trick he learned from Cassandra, as it made him look quite insane, a distinct tactical advantage.

"Oh, I don't think so," he whispered fearlessly looking into Hypnos's eyes as he let a slow, mad smile curve up his face. "You boys are nothing compared to the things I have seen. The monsters that lurk in the shadows are my bedmates; magic so dark the very incantation settle in your lungs like water, my lullaby; the whispers that never dared to leave the shadows and threatened to tear the very civility of wizardkind swim through my veins; I am the badger among basilisks, what fears do you think could hold me?"

Hades straightened up, the smiling sliding off his face. "Be wise, boys. Enjoy your summer."

Rhad stood half-frowning at the entrance of the hall, watching Hades. "What did you say?" he demanded, standing on his tiptoes to try and see around his friend.

The joke was on him, he needed a growth spurt and a miracle to see past Hades. Hades smiled and it was a very different expression that ghosted across his face than the one he granted Thanatos and Hypnos.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go find Cassandra."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Exam week dawned.

"Rhad, you have the book memorized," Hades said, his voice even as he watched his friend pour over his Potions book. They had their Potion's exam in two hours and even the sweet allure of freedom wafting around the corner couldn't shake Rhad from his studies.

They had finished breakfast twenty odd minutes ago and stood waiting in the cool shadow of the entrance hall for Cassandra to appear—which could take anywhere from a couple of seconds to an hour, depending on the witch's mood. Hades found it didn't bother him today, lifting his head up so the warm summer breeze could caress his face.

The tranquility shattered a moment later when, with the sound of a book closing (which should have been Hades's first warning that something was amiss), Rhad asked, "Who is that with Cassandra?"

Hades's eyes were open at once, and he and Rhad stared as Cassandra drew closer with an older, severe-looking Slytherin girl at her side. Hades's spine locked into place, his chin coming up as he tensed. Cassandra didn't look distressed, but the green snake that gleamed on the collar of her walking companion didn't bode well with Hades. His fingers twitched, desperate to tug the Ravenclaw away from the serpent and into the safety of her two badgers.

"Hades, Rhad," Cassandra called without preamble, "This is Hecate. She's a fifth-year pureblood, she'll pass her OWLs this year and be well on her way to joining the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

Hades wondered if she was trying to give them a heart attack.

"Boys, say hello," Cassandra reprimanded crossly, folding her arms across her chest as she and  _Hecate_ came to a halt before them.

The Slytherin looked utterly unimpressed, crossing her own arms and staring down at the younger boys from under sharply sculpted eyebrows.

"I know you," Hades said slowly. "You're mother frequented mine."  _Before Kronos's imprisonment_ went unsaid.

"She did." Hecate's words were sharp and short.

Her eyes, so blue they were nearly purple, bore into Hades's and an odd sensation came over the younger wizard; there was something that wasn't quite pity in those dark orbs—kinship, maybe. Or perhaps even shame. Hades took a good, long second look at the girl. Nothing about her was particularly familiar, not even the name, but her sharp, pointed nose and round jaw could have belonged to any number of guests who often graced his mother's halls. That and the way she held herself, jaw at a ninety-degree angle with the floor, shoulders direct over her hips, hands hovering over her wand as though she were one ill-fated word away from a draw, were as natural as breathing to Hades. An odd ache grew in his chest, clawing at his throat with a hollow echo that he didn't quite understand.

"Why did you bring her here?" Hades asked, tearing his eyes away from the Slytherin girl to meet the calmer, comforting gaze of Cassandra. He knew the answer before Cassandra even opened her mouth:

"Cerberus."

Rhad licked his lips, eyes flickering from Cassandra to Hecate.

"She knows," Cassandra said before he could say anything. "But more importantly she knows how to sneak him out of Hogwarts."

Rhad's face convulsed, and part of Hades almost fell prey to the same impulse that was second nature to him—to sneer, turn up his nose—but Cassandra's eyes bore into his and Hades kept his face blank. Rhad whirled to face Hades, eyebrows pulled together in betrayal when he realized Hades didn't share his disbelief. Well, at least that his face didn't convey a similar disbelief.

But Hades wasn't really watching his friend; his eyes were instead fixed on the new bearer of their secret.

"You trust her?"

"I do," Cassandra replied simply.

Hades nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?" Rhad repeated in disbelief, "whoa, okay, wait a minute, let's think through this—"

Hades ignored him, raising his voice to be heard, and addressed Hecate, who was examining her nails, feigning disinterest.

"Oh? Are we done squabbling?" she drawled, feeling his eyes upon her and rising her own to meet his.

"You can get him out?"

"Perhaps. Show me the . . . troublesome ball of fur."

Hades appreciated the discretion, even if the chosen phrase made his lips curl. Merlin, you'd think they had a badly behaved rabbit.

"Lead the way," Hecate said with a dramatic sweep of her arm.

When neither Hades nor Cassandra made any motion to start forward, Rhad heaved a pained sigh.

"Alright, come on, this way."

As they traveled across the grounds towards the forest, Hades fell silently in step with Cassandra, letting Rhad take Hecate on ahead.

"Why?"

Cassandra didn't look surprised by the question. Her dark eyes crinkled, the ghost of a smile on her face.

"I Saw her."

"Sure you did."

Cassandra gave a soft laugh, deep and melodious, too used to Hades to be much affected by his disbelief.

"She's a lot like you, only . . . I don't know, less intense. She's a Slytherin, but the hat almost put her somewhere else. She doesn't agree with her pureblood family but not enough to do anything about it. When she graduates, she'll run off to Egypt and never return." Cassandra paused, looking like she might say more but decided against it. "She'll get Cerberus out safely, and she'll bring him home to you. She'll even convince your mother he's a good pet for you."

Hades nodded slowly, letting her words sink in. He still wasn't sure he believed Cassandra was a Seer, but he did trust her judgment. And she did have the unnerving knack of being right.

"What," he asked, tossing each letting around in his mouth carefully, "do you mean by less intense?"

"I didn't mean anything bad by it. It isn't that Hecate isn't important—everyone is important. She just isn't . . . you. She's not you. You . . . you'll . . . you  _are_. . . " Cassandra's brow puckered. "Change. You inspire change. You are change. Important, world-ramifying change. Come on, let's catch up."

Hades frowned at Cassandra's back as she took off, running full tilt past Hecate and Rhad, leaving Hades in the dust. What in Merlin's beard? Hades stared after her but didn't get the chance to think before, his mind oddly blank, a voice called: "Master?"

Hades pulled himself up short, nearly tripping over his feet as he narrowly avoided trampling over the acromantula in the grass.

"Merlin! Mosag, what are you trying to do? I almost stepped on—"

"Stranger with Master. New friend?"

Hades crouched down, the other three wizards carrying on without noticing his sudden absence. Mosag scurried onto his lap, the wizard's hands coming around to protectively hold her close.

"Ally," Hades corrected. "She's going to help us get Cerberus home."

"Safe?"

"Cassandra trusts her."

Mosag nodded, dropping the line of questions, as if Cassandra's trust was as satisfactory for the acromantula as it had been for her master.

"Stay hidden," Hades instructed all the same. There was a difference between a magically deformed puppy and an illegal, dangerous acromantula. He wasn't going to risk Mosag being seen.

"Stay close but hidden," he repeated, scratching the center of her thorax before letting the acromantula crawl off his lap.

Hades stood, one eye on Mosag, before catching up with the group.

"Hades should go first," Cassandra was saying, looking over her shoulder to find Hades half jogging to catch up with the group. She said nothing, for which he was eternally grateful.

Rhad and Hecate parted to let Hades through and he walked between them, striding purposefully into the undergrowth of the forest.

"Cerberus," he called, kicking fallen branches out of his way.

A high pitched yip greeted him. Hades knelt down, parting the branches that hid Cerberus's den from prying eyes to reveal the dog, all three tongues excitedly hanging out and tail wagging.

"Careful, careful," Hades urged as the pup tried to come to his feet, its broken leg dragging in its makeshift cast.

"Hey, hey," Hades said, exasperate, as he removed the charm that kept the dog in his den. "Careful now."

Cerberus rammed into Hades's ankles, nipping and licking excitedly, still emitting the high pitched yips. Hades shook his head, leaning down to scoop the happy pup up. The middle head immediately began lapping at his face, one of the others chewing on the collar of his robe. Hades straightened up and stepped back, turning around to face the others. It took Cerberus all of half a second to realize they had company. Hades tensed, watching Hecate; would Cerberus growl, what if he was scared, what if he didn't like—

Cerberus yipped even louder, wiggling wildly as he tried to greet the others.

"Hey Cere," Cassandra cooed, stepping up without preamble to scratch behind one of Cerberus's many ears.

"How are you, buddy?" Rhad cajoled a heartbeat later, coming to Hades's other side.

It was like his friends were trying to create a Hades-sandwich, pulling it tightly and squishing him effectively between their warm weights.

Cerberus was in heaven, all three tongues hanging out and tail thumping wildly against Hades.

"He's still very young," Hecate noted, tilting her head to the side as she surveyed the animal. "Very friendly."

"Yes, he is."

Hades stared at Cerberus. One of his heads turned, licking Hades's jaw. His tail thumped heavily against Hades's stomach, happy and fearless. Hades peered over the three heads at Hecate, whose fingers were curled at her side, clutching at her robes as though holding herself back.

"Why don't you come pet him?"

Hecate, as if she had been waiting for the invitation, stepped forward and cupped one of Cerberus's fuzzy snouts. As the other three watched, the severe-looking Slytherin leaned over and pressed her nose to one of Cerberus's wet one.

"Who's a good boy?" she asked and Cerberus barked, wiggling like a maniac.

When Hecate pulled back, there was a smile on her face. Rhad openly gaped at the sight. Cassandra radiated smugness.

"So," Hades asked, shuffling the dog around so he rested over the wizard's heart. "Can you get him out?"

Hecate cocked her head to the side, ruffling Cerberus's back. "Of course, I can."

* * *

Rhad finished their Potions exam a full half hour early, squeezing Hades's shoulder in support on his way out. Hades himself finished with five minutes to spare, turning in his parchment with what might almost pass for a smile before joining the gaggle of giggling yellow on their journey down to the Hufflepuff dormitory. The infectious happiness even managed to wiggle under Hades's harsh Olympian exterior—no more exams.

Hades trailed behind the group as they grew closer to the dormitory. When the group made their final turn, Hades continued straight, a different destination in mind. It was still daylight—he would see Cerberus one more time before Hecate smuggled him away, Hades decided. He let his feet guide the way, his mind, free from the worries of exams or classes, wandered. In a week's time, he would be home. Back in Kronos's house. Him, Hades, a sorted Hufflepuff. Where would that leave him?

It wasn't a particularly pleasant train of thought. It occupied Hades's mind so much that he didn't notice he was being cornered until a figure stepped right into his path.

"Thanatos," Hades said disapprovingly, hiding his surprise as the bulky Slytherin's shadow fell over him. "Didn't we chat about this?"

"Olympian," Thanatos greeted with a wicked grin. "I can't say that I remember."

Without letting Thanatos out of sight, Hades tried to survey his surroundings. There were at least six figures around him, including Hypnos who was to Thanatos's immediate left, grinning just as horribly. The gravity of the situation sank in as shadows detached themselves from the wall, surrounding him on all sides. Hades's hand gripped his wand inside his robes, consciously keeping his breath slow and even. He couldn't afford to panic. He'd been in worse situations, a young child cowering in the corner as the dark magic of his father surrounding him. He turned his head only enough to check on his unwanted guests. He found a few vaguely familiar faces in green snakes. Hades blinked and suddenly he was back in Olympian manor, the front door opening and darkness slinking inside.

"Shouldn't you be heading to dinner?" Hades asked, forcefully dragging himself back to the present and the very real dangers it presented.

"No, I'm exactly where I want to be," Thanatos sneered, stepping closer. "You know, Olympian, for someone as weasely as yourself, you also run like clockwork. What do you do every evening when you run into the forest? Practice dark magic? Torture mudbloods? Weep yourself to sleep?"

Hades clenched his jaw, cursing himself for allowing them to fall into a pattern.  _Stupid._  His foolishness could get Mosag killed. Hades's heart sped up—did they know about her? Unlikely, he calmed himself, watching Thanatos's face. No, no, if they knew about Mosag, they'd already have lorded it over his head.

"Dangerous for little first years to go off on their own. Isn't it lads?"

The other Slytherins all laughed, drawing in closer. Hades squared his jaw, eyes locked on Thanatos as his mind strategized. He could get Thanatos, that much was for sure, then the others would get him. Hades only hoped the fear of expulsion would tame their wands in the way it never tamed his father's. He tensed, muscles tightening as he waited for it to start.

"Hey!"

Thanatos whirled.

Sliding in shoulder to shoulder behind the bulky Slytherin were Cassandra and Rhad, wands at the draw. Hades's heart constricted at the sight and for a moment, he felt he could not breathe. His friends, they had—

"Six on one is hardly fair, you cowards," Cassandra called, her dark eyes starlight bright as she aimed her wand straight at Thanatos. What a stupidly Gryffindor thing to do.

"Why you little—" Thanatos snarled, raising his wand.

Hades didn't even think—his  _stupefy_  hit Thanatos directly between his shoulder blades. And, like flipping a switch, it started. Hades's spell had hardly left his wand when answering spells dazzled around the hall, sparks of red and yellow exploding around them. Hades whirled to face their attackers and his friends closed in around him, Rhad to the left and Cassandra to the right. Their opponents were all bigger, stronger, older but woefully unprepared for the ferocity of the first years. Rhad took up defense, protecting them from most of the on-slaughter through simple shield charms and a few well-placed expelliarmuses. Cassandra, on the other hand, cast jinx after jinx with no mercy, gleefully cackling as though she were honestly having  _fun._ The Slytherins rightly looked disturbed, their spells half-hearted and wild without their leader to direct them. The fray only lasted maybe a minute or two but it felt like an eternity as Cassandra laughed madly, Rhad's grin lit up the hallway brighter than any spell and Hades thought:  _this is the world I choose._

_"What in Merlin's name is going on here?!"_

The sharp voice stopped any further spells. The chaos faded in a heartbeat, the hallway falling eerily silent. Hades looked to his left where Rhad had bubbles coming out of his ears, and to his right where Cassandra had buck teeth but was grinning madly. Together, the two friends helped keep Hades upright, who'd probably been hit with a leg-locking spell. None of the Slytherins were even on their feet though, so Hades counted it as a victory. The closest Slytherin groaned, rubbing her nose as one last bat few out of it. Hades stared at the carnage, barely noticing the sharp, angry " _Never in my life!"_ s the teacher spouted, and something warm grew in his chest.

They got a one-way ticket to the infirmary and detention for the rest of term with a holdover until next year where they would continue what was actually a month's worth of detention.

"Worth it," Cassandra said, words only slightly distorted by her buck teeth.

"How did you know?" Hades asked, who was staying overnight for observation due to the litany of spells that "may have unintended side effects due to the combination of so many spells at once, Mr. Olympian, you are to stay in that bed!"

Rhad was bound in the bed next to his for the same reason. The Slytherins were detained for much the same but the two sides of the ward were separated by a magical wall to keep the factions apart.

"I Saw it."

Hades hummed. Next to him, Rhad's head lobbed to the side. "She basically somersaulted across the Great Hall and hauled me away."

"Patently untrue," Cassandra tried to counter.

"No that sounds about right," Hades mused.

Rhad laughed and Cassandra's shoulders shook with barely repressed laughter, her lips pressed together to try as she pretended to take offense. Hades stared at them and the question he may have asked a month ago, perhaps even a week ago, came to his mind: why? Why would they do it? Why would they risk themselves like that for him? But the question barely crossed his mind when the answer came: because they were his friends.

They came because they were his friends and that was what friends did. Hades didn't even feel the urge to ask, to question himself or agonize over the particulars. He knew the answer. He didn't need the question.

"You doing okay there, Hades?" Cassandra asked, eyes closed but probably feeling a 'shift in his aura' or something equally ridiculous.

"Yes." His back hurt, his legs still unwilling to bend the proper way. He turning to look at the little Seer, whose teeth were sticking out of her mouth, and Hades smiled. "I'm okay."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Term ended without much fanfare. Gryffindor won the House Cup, thanks in the large part to the tussle between the Slytherins and Hades's friends. The extreme loss of points dropped Slytherin to last place and Hufflepuff hit a historic low. Oddly enough, their fellow badgers didn't seem upset by this historic low. Actually, Hades got smiled at by members of his house and uncomfortable bracing shoulder shakes in the hallway. Rhad and Hades found themselves surrounded by yellow bodies in the Great Hall instead of their usual isolated spot at the end of the table. It was like the entire Hufflepuff house had decided to absorb the pair of them.

"They're  _talking_ to me," Hades muttered in mild alarm.

Rhad grinned, bumping his shoulder against his friend's. "We're been formally adopted. Face it Hades, you're a Hufflepuff through and through. Defended your friends in a full-on duel against a horde of Slytherins. The gig is up, your secret is out, you big softie."

"I will murder you in your sleep," Hades deadpanned, closing his trunk with a click. Mosag laid curled up on top of his bag, waiting patiently for the boys to finish packing their things before she had to hide away for the journey.

"You'll have to wait until September," Rhad cheekily returned as he too packed the rest of his belongings away.

Hades huffed, reaching out to scratch Mosag's back as he took one last look around the dormitory. He let his eyes scan the warm space, trying to pretend he was checking to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind, but he found he couldn't lie, not even to himself; he was memorizing every detail of the hole in the ground that had somehow wormed its way into his heart.

"You know," he said slowly. "I think I will actually miss the oppressive heat and claustrophobic corners of our little dormitory."

Hades could feel Rhad's eyes on him and thanked his lucky star that his friend didn't call him out on the sentimentality that lurked behind his words. They stood in silence, letting the heat absorb into their skin, the dampness settle in their lungs for one last time. A speck of yellow caught Hades's eye and he knelt down, pulling a fallen object out from under his bed. He held it in his hands, blinking. It was the yellow and black scarf Hestia knitted for him. Hades ran his hand along the seam between the two colors, his thumb sinking into its softness. And even though it was the middle of summer, Hades wrapped the scarf around his neck.

"All set?" Hades asked, standing and turning around.

Rhad, good dependable Rhad, only smiled. "All set."

Mosag climbed into Hades's bag and the boys departed. Cassandra waited for them outside the Great Hall and they walked side by side out to the train. Students shouted and laughed around them, but the three friends felt no urge to add their voices to the cacophony. Hades caught Cassandra's eyes and she smiled, motioning for him to keep moving forward. The Hogwarts Express looked exactly the same as it had when it picked him up last September, the same voices shouting and screaming about him. But it sat differently with Hades, who found a hand on the small of his back propelling him forward.

"Head to the back," Cassandra instructed as they boarded the train and Hades did as bid.

Hades led the way down the train's hall, pulling his trunk behind him and keeping his bag, with Mosag safely tucked away inside, close to his side. Cassandra had the right idea in mind: they needed to be as far away from prying eyes as possible so the poor acromantula could spread her many legs. They passed Hufflepuffs all wrapped in yellow, who, to Hades's horror, nodded and waved at the three as they passed. Hades thought he caught a glimpse of one of the Slytherins who cornered them in the hall, but Cassandra kept pushing him forward and the familiar face disappeared. Once they had traveled down far enough, the three started checking for an empty compartment.

Naturally, it was just Hades's luck that the first compartment he tried was not only occupied but four familiar faces were found inside: Hercules, Achilles, Theseus, and Patroclus. They looked different from the first time he saw them, decked in brilliant gold and crimson (except for Patroclus who provided a cooling splash of blue). But it wasn't just the robes that made them different. It was the very way they held themselves, now nearly a year older and wiser, with months worth of mischief and experience cementing into an unbreakable bond of friendship.

It somehow felt worse to see the four companions sitting in the same exact formation as their maiden trip all those months ago than the half glimpse of their Slytherin adversary or the strange Hufflepuff comradery. Hades could almost see himself squeezed into the window seat across from Patroclus, half smirking as the boys made boisterous fools of themselves and spun wild, highly embellished tales of the last year's exploits. In another life, perhaps, one less fraught with uncertainty and fear.

His would-be/could-be/not-to-be friends stared at him and Hades stared back. A strange sense of déjà vu crept up Hades's back, almost as though he were seeing double. Except, that was distrust flashing in Hercules's eyes, and nothing short of overprotective fury in Achilles's as he lead forward to block Patroclus from view. Yes, perhaps in a different life they may have been friends, but not in this one, Hades mused as Theseus squared his jaw. It would never have worked in this one.

"Sorry," Hades said, not feeling sorry at all.

But he didn't move, letting the Gryffindors stew in the stalemate until, one by one, they each lowered their eyes. He wasn't sure if it was shame, embarrassment, hatred or the pure blackness of Hades's own eyes that made them look away but it satisfied something inside of Hades.

"My mistake," Hades said, and he wasn't referring to the intrusion of their compartment.

He stepped back, looking over his shoulder at Cassandra and Rhad. Cassandra was frowning, eyeing the Gryffindors with suspicion. Rhad's eyebrows were pulled together. Then the image of himself among the Gryffindor troupe disappeared from Hades's mind. He had his place, and he was content with it. Hades smiled at his friends, nodding his head down the rest of the hall.

"Come on," he told them, moving on.

He hadn't made it even one step when:

"Hades, wait!

Hades found himself turning back around, one eyebrow raised. Patroclus had launched himself out of the compartment, one hand reached out towards Hades. In the background Achilles made a noise of protest, but Patroclus shut the compartment door right in his face.

"Can," the older boy asked, "can we talk?"

"Go on, I'll catch up," Hades told the others. Cassandra's lips turned down, her eye twitching.

Hades made a shooing motion. "Go on, then, I'm alright."

"Come on, Cass," Rhad coaxed, taking Cassandra by the arm. Cassandra allowed herself to be dragged away, but not before making 'watching you' eyes at Patroclus.

Hades rolled his eyes at her antics before facing Patroclus.

"I—" Patroclus haltered. "Those are two good friends you have there, Hades."

"Yes. I know."

Patroclus nodded awkwardly, staring intensely at Hades. "I—" Patroclus cut himself off. "We didn't, that first day. It was wrong of us—it's just, it's hard being Muggleborn or having Muggle blood and, with all that's going on right now and your—well, we shouldn't have judged so harshly but . . . . I guess what I'm trying to say is how we treated you was wrong and there really isn't an excuse, so I'm, we're, well, I'm sorry."

"No, you're not," Hades objected mildly.

Patroclus opened his mouth, face earnest but Hades waved him off.

"And it's okay. Seriously, Patroclus, it's okay. Besides, I'm not sorry either."

"But if we had just been—"

"But you weren't," Hades interrupted bluntly. "But then again, neither was I. I could have said something, perhaps been less standoffish. Or at least acknowledged the very real fears that are associated with the name I bear, even if I do not support them. But what's done is done and I have found something better. There are no hard feelings between us, Patroclus."

Patroclus stared at him, chewing on his bottom lip contemplatively. "And the others?"

"There are some hard feelings there," Hades admitted frankly. "But you have no enemy in me, nor your friends. Not an enemy. But not a friend either."

"I understand that," Patroclus said, nodding slowly.

"Alright."

Hades stared at the Ravenclaw, who was watching him with the same contemplative expression on his face. Hades stared back, wondering when the conversation would be over (could it be over? Hades was certainly done with it). He had the odd feeling the older boy was waiting for something. After considering for a moment, Hades held his hand out. Patroclus's lips twitched but he sportingly reached out and shook it.

"Be seeing you then, Hades," Patroclus said, smiling faintly.

"I daresay you will," Hades agreed, reclaiming his hand.

And when Hades turned to walk away, he could feel the Ravenclaw's eyes burning into the back of his head the whole way down. Hades didn't turn back once.

It was easy enough to find his friends and both of them gave him a not-so-subtle once over when he slipped inside, before Rhad held out a chocolate frog.

"Thanks," Hades said, taking it and settling in across from the small boy, next to the window so Cassandra was on his right side.

"So—" Cassandra began.

"It's nothing and we're not talking about it," Hades cut her off, positioning himself carefully before unbuttoning his bag and checking on Mosag.

"Move a little to the left," Rhad told Cassandra.

"I want to talk—" Cassandra said irritably as she shifted accordingly as Mosag groggily crept out of Hades's bag.

"Alright there?" Hades murmured, running his hand over the acromantula and making sure the journey hadn't injured her in any way.

Mosag clicked drowsily, burying herself against Hades until she was a fist-sized ball against his hip.

"Hades," Cassandra said, irritated.

"Cassandra," he mimicked, lifting his eyes enough to meet hers. Her mouth pressed together firmly, clearly unhappy with him. "I'm okay," he told her.

She stared back at him, her dark eyes boring into his for one . . . two . . . three— "Okay."

"Okay?"

"How do you feel, Mosag?" Cassandra asked, letting the subject drop as she turned her attention to the rumpled creature instead.

Mosag clicked again, nuzzling into Hades's shirt like she was Cerberus or something. Ridiculous creature. Hades gently ran the back of his fingers over her head.

"Lot of jostling," Rhad guessed, clicking his own tongue sympathetically.

"Poor baby," Cassandra cooed. "Here, Hades give me your cloak, we'll make a bed out of it for the poor girl."

Mosag didn't want to leave Hades's warmth so they balled up his cloak and made a nest against Hades. Mosag disappeared inside, all but hidden from the outside eye.

"She's safe," Rhad proclaimed, standing in the doorway and leaning from side to side to check if Mosag was visible.

"Are you sure? Anyone who walks in is going to be twice your height, did you factor that into consideration?" Hades asked, which earned him a choice hand gesture from the small boy.

Any debate was saved by the sweets lady, who dropped by a moment later and left, none the wiser about the dangerous acromantula snuggled against Hades's side and that put an end to their worries. They chatted as the train drove onward, about classes, about Cerberus and how Hecate might have snuck him out, about what their detention would be when they returned and Rhad's particular choice in Muggle clothing when it came time to change. And then—

"You both have to write."

"Hm?" Rhad asked at Cassandra's out of the blue announcement.

"Over the summer, you must both write me or I will hunt you down," Cassandra explained with a roll of her eyes, as if they should have predicted the change in topic.

"You should visit the manor," Hades said, the words leaving his mouth without getting proper leave by his brain first.

"Would I be allowed?" Cassandra asked, not bothering to beat around the bush or be sensitive. Hades appreciate her candor, even as he scolded his tongue for uttering such sentiment.

"You," Hades said, speaking slowly as he thought, "Should be. It is not an Olympian's nature to ask for things, we simply do. I shall write and have you over."

"And we'll see what happens," Cassandra filled in dryly.

"Nothing will happen while I am with you."

"Yeah, that's not the part I worry about."

"Mother will like Rhad."

"All mothers like me, I'm very likable," Rhad agreed, tongue in cheek.

"Shut up, Rhad," Cassandra snorted, throwing an empty box of Bertie Botts at the small boy.

"It'll be okay," Hades said, speaking over the pair before a squabble could erupt. "And you can see Mosag and Cerberus."

"I will miss them," Cassandra sighed, turning to look down at their sleepy acromantula.

"She's starting to molt," Rhad noted, leaning forward in his seat to stare fondly at Mosag.

"Is she?" Hades frowned, looking down at the giant spider. He ran his thumb over her thorax as he knew she liked, noticing for the first time how her skin  _did_ appear a little dry and when he put a little more pressure in his petting, starting to bunch up and flake.

"Ecdysis."

"Bless you."

Cassandra rolled her eyes so hard Hades was mildly surprised they didn't fall right out of her head.

" _Ecdysis_. It's the name for the process of shedding the old skin or casting off of an outer layer." Cassandra turned but . . . but she wasn't looking at Mosag.

"Ecdysis," she repeated, reaching out to tug on the scarf around Hades's neck. She smiled, all sharp edges and mystery.

"Shut up," Hades said for good measure.

When the train pulled into platform nine and three quarters, Hades, Rhad, and Cassandra waited in their compartment under the guise of waiting until the rush calmed down before departing.

"You two will write," Cassandra repeated among the sea of departing students.

"Do you have an owl? You keep one of my family's for the summer," Rhad told her, all but holding onto Hades to prevent himself from being swept away in the tide.

"We'll be seeing one another," Hades promised, a promise he fully intended to keep.

They walked side by side until they reached the platform. Rhad's parents stole him away first and the small boy waved cheerfully as he dragged from sight, then Cassandra was being whisked away by a witch with gravity-defying hair.

"Write," was her parting word and a smile that made September feel both very close and too far away.

Hades watched his friends go, surprised at how much the departure affected him. He would have stayed rooted to the spot, watching Cassandra's smile fade from sight, were it not for the pressing of his own family. Rhea was easy enough to spot, standing in her full immaculate glory as she strode towards Hades. She was sans children save for Hestia, who smiled wider and brighter than the moon when she saw what her brother was wearing.

"My first born," Rhea sighed lovingly as they drew nearer, holding her arms out and Hades let himself be engulfed.

She smelled like violet perfume and her skin was cool to the touch, and when Hestia took her turn at smothering him next, his sister carried the earthy smelled he had become accustomed to at Hogwarts.

"You look good in yellow," Hestia whispered in his ear.

"Yes, I do," he agreed softly and she held him so tight, she nearly broke his spine.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The Olympian Manor seemed smaller somehow when Hades stepped onto its shaded porch. Less splendid. The hedges were magiced to perfection, the Manor itself towered magnificently, but everything paled with the memory of Hogwarts. Hades wondered if his father ever noticed the difference, if the Manor itself was a desperate attempt to imitate the grand castle he left behind. He failed, if that were his goal. The hallways seemed darker, the corners cooler as Hades dragged his trunk up to his room. Hecate obviously had yet to drop Cerberus off but Hades found he wasn't concerned.

"Stay out of sight for now," Hades told Mosag as he gently put his bag down on his bed.

The acromantula slowly stretched out, her legs gingerly spreading out to test out her new environment. She emerged out into the bed, slightly rumpled but no worse for the wear.

"Hard," she clicked as she explored her new environment. "Like other bed better."

"Hm," Hades hummed, absently stroking her back as he surveyed his room.

All his things were as he left them. The large bed perfectly made with its black comforter, the dresser twice Rhad's height, bookshelf pristinely dusted but overflowing with tomes he'd never read. Above his head, a crystal chandelier dangled, beautiful and cold. Hades turned, not sure what he was looking for.

"Not home," Mosag grumbled, scratching at the comforter. "But will do. Still smells like you. Needs friend smell."

"Yes," Hades said absently, thinking of a distant dormitory bathed in the golden rays of the sun through round windows and humid warmth pressing into brightly lit corners. "Don't let anyone see you. I will be back."

Mosag clicked in reply, scurrying off the bed to explore. Hades let her be, going off to explore himself. It was strange, walking through the halls of his father's after nearly a year of being away, tucked between a very different set of walls then the ones he remember from his childhood, even though he knew they were one and the same.

Hades let his mind wander, his feet going where they may, and was only mildly surprised when he found himself standing before the Olympian hearth. He tilted his head up, staring at the Slytherin banner that had loomed looked over him his entire life. It somehow felt smaller, or perhaps it was Hades who was larger now. He tilted his head to the side, staring up at the green snake. Curious, how the sun never seemed to warm its fabric. All his life, the Slytherin snake hung over his head, a harbinger of doom—funny how something that felt larger than life only a few months ago seemed an outdated relic, fraying and fading.

"Mother said you were back."

"Poseidon," Hades acknowledged, turning to find the green-eyed boy behind him.

Poseidon was tanner than the last time Hades saw him and perhaps a couple inches taller. It was hard to gauge; Hades had gotten quite used to Rhad's meager height after all. Poseidon's eyes fell on the Hufflepuff scarf still wrapped securely around his brother's neck, one dark eyebrow raising in surprise. Hades didn't flinch or scowl this time, the ache that churned his stomach last Christmas at his brother's contempt of the house now non-existent. Let Poseidon think what he may.

"How was it?" Poseidon asked finally and despite the question's vagueness Hades knew what he meant.

"Well," Hades said. "It was well, Poseidon."

Poseidon raised his eyes to the snake that towered over the pair.

"Mother already bought my robes."

"A size too large no doubt."

Poseidon's lips did a strange, unhappy twist. They werent the best at emotions, the Olympians. Hestia was probably the only one who could freely admit to even having them but Hades could see the concern lurking in his younger brother's eyes and it tugged at something inside the elder boy.

"It's not what the stories say, Hogwarts," Hades began. "It's not like how Father told it or the men who frequented him. It's different than I ever imagined. Larger somehow. Less confining. It was strange, what happened there. You get sorted into a House and told how to behave, and yet somehow no one ever quite achieves it, or they reach it in a way that no one's ever thought of before."

Poseidon stared at him.

"They turned you into a poet brother. It doesn't suit you." Poseidon thought, head cocking to the side. "A poet or you grew a gilded tongue."

"Don't be foolish, I was born with a gilded tongue." Hades was only half teasing. He stepped forward, thought about ruffling Poseidon's hair but decided against it. The display of affection might send them into the dangerous zone of  _acknowledging feelings_ and nobody would come out of that unscathed.

"When I was at Hogwarts, I met cowardly, backstabbing Gryffindors and loyal, reckless ones. I acquired a cultured, workaholic Hufflepuff and roomed with ignorant, frightened ones. A Ravenclaw with nerves of steel followed me into an unfavorably matched fight and others dismissed me as a foregone menace. I put three Slytherins in the hospital wing and revealed one of my darkest secrets to another."

Poseidon's mouth dropped open a little. Hades gave a wry grin.

"Whatever House the hat puts you in will not define you," Hades told him. "And you mustn't confine yourself. You got a good head on your shoulders Poseidon, don't screw it up."

Poseidon stared at his brother thoughtfully. Hades let him, keeping his head held high and chin perpendicular to the ground, the yellow and black scarf on proud display.

"Now run along, I hear Zeus and Demeter coming back. Mother will undoubtedly require all of us for dinner tonight."

"It's . . . good to have you back," Poseidon said, a look far older than his near eleven years should hold lurking in his eyes. Hades sighed at the sight, knowing it was their father that put it there and that a similar look often graced his own vintage. It seemed sometimes the iron grasp of Kronos would never loosen.

"Don't get sentimental on me now, Poseidon Olympian," Hades warned. "Off with you."

Poseidon smirked, a thin elfish thing that was more the impish boy's style, but obligingly began to slink off, disappearing with a flourish.

 _Show-off,_ Hades thought almost fondly. He stared at the spot his brother disappeared from, lost in thought. In the distance, he could hear the rambunctious hollering of the youngest Olympian, Demeter's desperate pitch trying to reign the little nightmare in. The display case holding his father's school uniform and the staff of Salazar Slytherin stood opposite Hades, Hades's half-smiling reflection sharply outlined by the sunlight. The Hufflepuff scarf shone in defiance in all its bright glory. Hades tilted his head to the side and, inch by inch, his little half-smile grew until he stood in the middle of his childhood home, grinning like a madman as he stared at his reflection and saw it for what it was for perhaps the first time in his entire life: it was him, Hades Olympian. Not the shadow of Kronos, not the dark son of a dark wizard, not the latest model in a long succession of copies—but an original, a deviation. A badger among basilisks.

Hades Olympian smiled and his reflection smiled back.

When Zeus came storming through the mansion halls, flinging dirt and leaves and childish abandon throughout the empty halls, he tore past the Slytherin banner without a backwards glance. Demeter, hot on his heels and spitting mad, didn't look either. But Rhea, with full intent to rescue her daughter and capture her wayward youngest, did. What she found was startling enough to give her pause. The mistress came to a halt beneath the Slytherin banner that had graced the family hearth since before she born the name Olympian. Draped along the top of the banister, the middle sagging down to crown the tip of the snake's hissing head, was a black and yellow scarf, proudly bearing the emblem of an unassuming badger.


End file.
